Metal Additive Manufacturing for Industrial Production

The Renishaw RenAM 500M additive manufacturing system builds metallic components directly from CAD using metal powder-bed fusion technology. The machine is first in a family of products based around the company’s optical systems and control technology.

The machine manufactures parts within the 250 × 250 × 350 mm (9.84" × 9.84" × 13.77") build volume, and utilizes a high-powered ytterbium fiber laser to fuse fine metallic powders together, creating functional 3D parts.

In-line sieving enables powder to be recycled and re-used in a single process under an inert atmosphere, reducing user interaction and turnaround time. Metallic powder is loaded into the machine hopper at the front of the system and sieved ultrasonically. Any un-melted material is returned to the hopper and passes through the ultrasonic sieve before being processed. Sieved powder is pneumatically transferred in a flow of high-purity argon gas into the powder delivery silo. Powder sieving and recirculation are automatically carried out within the compact system, reducing the need for manual handling and exposure to materials.

The additive manufacturing system features a high-capacity twin SafeChange filter system, enabling builds to run for long periods of time in a stable and controlled atmosphere. Filters capture process emissions, and the machine’s intelligent control system senses the filter’s condition and redirects the gas circuit to a clean filter before conditions deteriorate.

The machine is suitable for industrial production, specifically serialized production. Each system is intended to be dedicated to a single material type for a lights-out manufacturing environment. It is equipped with a 480-mm (19") durable touchscreen, machine control software and a Windows operating system with a dedicated user interface and large icons to show the build setup workflow.