Siemens, Europe’s largest industrial manufacturing company, and Strasbourg-based 3D printer manufacturer BeAM have announced plans to extend their partnership. Having already installed Siemens’ digital native CNC controller Sinumerik One on BeAM’s Modulo 250 Directed Energy Deposition (DED) system, the two firms are now looking to equip the entire BeAM machine fleet with the software.
The announcement was made at EMO 2019, where the Sinumerik One-integrated with Modulo 250 was presented to the public at the Siemens booth. Visitors could observe how the controller creates and utilizes a digital twin of the system, enabling machine manufacturers to create complete virtualization of their development and machine processes.
“We are very excited to close the loop in the additive digital chain by bridging virtual simulation and actual deposition on our new Modulo 250 thanks to the integration of the new Sinumerik One,” comments BeAM’s CEO Vincent Gillet.
“It opens up new possibilities for our industrial customers willing to integrate further DED in their value chain and optimize its usage.”
Creating a digital twin of BeAM Modulo 250 with Sinumerik One
BeAM’s Modulo 250 is the first additive manufacturing system equipped with Siemens’ Sinumerik One. Using DED technology, the machine is specifically designed for R&D, training, and the production of small dimension parts. It features a compact design for increased portability and space efficiency.
Siemens revealed it was modifying its Sinumerik ONE CNC controller for use in BeAM’s Modulo 250 DED machine in May 2019, where 3D Printing Industry interviewed the company about its digital twin capabilities. The Sinumerik ONE enables machine tool manufacturers to virtually map their entire development processes, i.e. create a digital twin. It can also control and automate a number of systems involved in a production process, such as milling and laser-cutting systems, speeding up manufacturing.
Sinumerik One therefore presents manufacturers with the possibility of simulating the programming, setup, and operation of machines using a PC before commissioning the machine itself. Thus, businesses are able to evaluate processes already in the product development phase.
Uwe Ruttkamp, Head of Machine Tool Systems at Siemens Digital Industries, explains, “Through the use of digital twins throughout the value chain from virtual design to creation of the actual component, digitalization in additive manufacturing ensures maximum efficiency, productivity and data transparency for the entire production process as well as maximum quality for the manufactured component.”
The Digital Enterprise portfolio
As well as integrating Sinumerik One within BeAM’s entire selection of DED systems, the two companies want to implement BeAM AM machines with Siemens’ Digital Enterprise portfolio. The portfolio is intended to help companies leverage the benefits and potentials of Industry 4.0, and consists of various hardware and software services.
“The rapid industrialization of additive manufacturing goes hand in hand with digital transformation and can only be achieved through close cooperation between experts in software and hardware and in industrial 3D printing, as is the case with Siemens and BeAM,” adds Ruttkamp.
Increasing activity in additive manufacturing, Siemens’ recently collaborated with ExOne for the launch of the new S-Max Pro. Siemens’ Digital Enterprise Portfolio of software and automation technology was also integrated into the new 3D printer. The company has also been assigned as project manager or Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) grant project titled: Industrial implementation of digital engineering and additive manufacturing (IDEA).
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Featured image shows visualization of the Sinumerik ONE controller. Image via Siemens.
