Business View Magazine | March 2020

40 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE MARCH 2020 Some manufacturers debate whether they should shift from a traditional metal removal process to AM, but the question is actually, “traditional, AM or a hybrid solution?” Several exhibitors in the Metal Removal Pavilion at IMTS 2020 will demonstrate systems that combine a metal removal process with an AM or a metal fusion process such as friction stir welding. “Hybrid technologies offer all the inherent advantages of digital manufacturing, such as traceability and connectivity,” says Eelman. “They consolidate processes to reduce cycle time and eliminate error sources, but they also offer the design freedom associated with AM and joining technologies.” Software and Control Technologies The variety of software and control technologies on the market can also streamline production times and decrease costs. Often, while searching for a controller for their CNC (computer numerical control) machines, manufacturers find they need a completely new production approach. A CNC controller functions as the brain of the system. Modern controllers and software programs can simplify the connections between the computer system and the mechanical components of the machine. Conventional machining requires multiple material handling steps, removal of the part from its fixture for inspection and measurement, making CNC adjustments, and machining several parts to optimize set-up. The process consumes time, plus it is expensive if it means scrapping parts made from an alloy like titanium. “There’s more variety in the parts now. There’s smaller lot sizes — even lot sizes of one. Cutting the first part right demands a new process flow,” says Gisbert Ledvon, Director Business Development Machine Tool at Heidenhain, a leading controls manufacturer. Produced on an EOS metal additive manufacturing system from an aluminum alloy, this heat exchanger features turbulators inside cooling tubes that disrupt the flow of cooled fluid to maximize heat transfer.