Metal Additive System for Industrial Production

The new Renishaw RenAM 500M additive system builds complex metallic components directly from CAD using metal powder bed fusion technology. Designed and engineered with serialized production in mind, the machine will be featured in the Renishaw Booth (E-5509) at IMTS 2016. The RenAM 500M is first in a family of products based on Renishaw’s optical systems and control technology, and offers unparalleled engineering with efficient, ergonomic design and safety features, as well as intuitive, automated capabilities.

The RenAM 500M builds on the Renishaw AM system platform and manufactures parts within the 250 × 250 × 350-mm (9.84 × 9.84 × 13.77-inch) work envelope. It uses a high-powered ytterbium fiber laser to fuse fine metallic powders together to create functional 3D parts.

In-line sieving allows powder to be recycled and reused 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.

The RenAM 500M features a patented high capacity twin SafeChange filter system enabling builds to run for long periods in a stable and controlled atmosphere. Filters capture process emissions safely and efficiently and the machine’s intelligent control system actively senses the filter’s condition and redirects the gas circuit to a clean filter before conditions deteriorate. Powder sieving and recirculation are automatically carried out within the compact system, reducing the need for manual handling and exposure to materials, which provides increased safety and sustained quality of the metal powders.

The RenAM 500M is ideal for industrial production application, specifically serialized production. The system can be dedicated to a single material type for a lights-out manufacturing environment and provides a higher level of automation compared to the AM250 and AM400 platforms.

Inherently intuitive, the large 480-mm (19-inch), durable touchscreen and machine control software allows for ease of navigation through every process step. Based on a Windows® operating system with a dedicated user interface, large icons show the build set-up workflow for clear and straightforward operation. Specifically developed to accept future upgrades—a characteristic prevalent throughout all of Renishaw’s product lines—ensuring that every machine provides a pathway to future performance updates.

Visit the company's IMTS Showroom here.