ALUMINIUM 2018: Additive manufacturing - Technology of the future

Additive manufacturing is a key technology for future production processes. SMS group is a frontrunner in this development and supplies plant technology for the production of high-quality, high-purity metal powder for 3D-printing. In collaboration with Additive Industries, a Dutch specialist for 3D-printing systems, SMS group has developed a production concept to bring additive manufacturing serial production into reality.

Heike Heichel is an assistance in the department Research & Development in Mönchengladbach. She is part of the Additive Manufacturing team from the very start of the activities and will present thetechnology to visitors at ALUMINIUM 2018.

In the run-up to the trade fair, we visited her in her Mönchengladbach office and talked to her about the product and the trade fair appearance.

Our fair presentation focuses on a selection of components that were made using the additive aluminum alloy AlSi10Mg.

Customers can expect information on newly developed 3D printed parts and a presentation of our activities along the process chain of additive manufacturing. Starting with the material production which is so far only Fe-alloys and nickel-based alloys, continuing with the design of AM parts and their production, ending with the Turnkey solutions from SMS group.

The advantages for the customer are the general benefits of 3D printed parts, such as the weight reduction, the ability to create completely new geometrics as well as the use of novel materials (e.g.: plastic-metal-material mix). SMS group uses the possibilities of additive manufacturing for further development of their own products. The highlight of our product is the consistent implementation of flow optimizations, weight reduction and the possibility to integrate many features into one component. The design process itself is supported by corresponding simulation tools significantly and designers require a new, consistent, function-oriented way of thinking to be able to create parts like this.