AM for Precision square shows 3D metal printing as part of precision technology

For several years, Tier 1 suppliers to the semiconductor industry have been building manufacturing capacity for additive manufacturing. Has additive manufacturing definitely landed in the high-tech manufacturing industry? The AM for Precision theme square during the 22nd edition of the Precision Fair shows where suppliers stand and what is technically possible.

John Hagelaars of De Valk Additive (as Machinefabriek De Valk is called after its acquisition by Anvil Group) is one of the forerunners in the Dutch AM industry. Ten years ago, he stepped in with high expectations. Now he is working on the first concrete orders for series production with 3D printing of metal components. "It's starting to trickle through to the high-tech companies," he says. "However, their leitmotif for additive manufacturing has changed."

Lack of capacity

In recent years, precision machinists engaged in 3D metal printing have mainly tried to make the business case by pointing out the typical advantages of additive manufacturing. More optimal positioning of cooling channels, for example. Or weight reduction through topology optimization. The often organically shaped, complex components were on display every year at the Precision Fair (Nov. 15 and 16, Den Bosch). Anno 2023, the motive appears to be mainly lack of capacity in the supply chain. "Ten years ago it was called freedom of design when it came to 3D metal printing. The more difficult the piece, the easier it was to print," says Henk Jansen, director of FMI Additive.

Ten years ago, it was called freedom of design when it came to 3D metal printing. The harder the piece, the easier it is to print, says Henk Jansen, director of FMI Additive

The world has come to its senses, he observes. "The added value people now see in 3D metal printing is that you can make assemblies easier, in fewer process steps. And as long as they are critical parts, we are price competitive." FMI Additive wants to develop a second market with critical titanium parts for the semiconductor industry in addition to that for medical implants, for which series production is ongoing.

"For some system suppliers, we have already started production, often of manifold-like, thin-walled products. For ASML, we are in the process of completing qualification and validation." These are originally, for example, milled pieces with internal cooling channels that are then welded together by laser welding. Laser welding is a specialty. Not every supplier has this technology in-house, so parts must be transported, tested for leak-tightness after laser welding, and then returned to the supplier for mechanical finishing. When you add all those steps together, 3D printing and mechanical finishing within the same company saves a lot of lead time.

This has opened the eyes of high-tech OEMs to additive manufacturing. Says John Hagelaars, "It's not the direct cost that comes first, but how to make the process more cost-effective. That's not just about curling, but also logistics, footprint, circular economy et cetera. We can provide parts now that there are capacity shortages in the supply chain."

Sometimes up to 80% precision technology required

AM is not a matter of print, tie it up and send it to the customer. No, the suppliers currently successful with additive manufacturing offer a complete solution. Including the mechanical finishing to achieve dimensional accuracies of a few microns and Ra values of surfaces well below 1 micron.

You sometimes need up to 80% precision technology: you need knowledge of classical turning and milling - John Hagelaars

 "After printing, you run into problems that come back with every order," John Hagelaars puts it squarely. Additive manufacturing is just one step in the entire process. Both FMI Additive and De Valk Additive are suppliers who supply the total process and do most of the steps in-house or at one of their sister companies. "Printing alone is nothing at all. You have to have talked to a miller to get to something," says John Hagelaars.

"You sometimes need up to 80% precision technology; you need knowledge of classical turning and milling." One example is cleaning: De Valk Additive meets ASML's Grade 2 requirements, something that years ago OEMs thought could not be done. He therefore thinks the AM for Precision plaza is a good fit for the Precision Fair. "Much better than a solo AM event."

Quality assurance in the process

An important step in this process is quality control. This in particular is a cost factor that cannot be ignored. FMI Additive has gained a lot of experience with this over the past ten years in 3D printing titanium implants for large medical companies. Henk Jansen believes that the quality procedures of the medical industry and the semicon are not much different. In the medtech industry, FMI Additive must demonstrate that both the first and the five thousandth implant are good, strong and clean.

You should also have to demonstrate that powder handling, cleaning of a machine, sieving of powder, etc. is done according to one set procedure. - Henk Jansen

Validating processes avoids having to go and check each component separately. Just like imprinting pull rods and test coupons to prove that if product 1 is good, they are all good without having to run each product through a CT scan. Henk Jansen: "There are accent differences with the semiconductor industry, but basically you fly the processes for critical high-tech parts the same way. This validation goes beyond the printing itself. You also have to demonstrate that powder handling, machine cleaning, powder sieving et cetera is done according to one set procedure."

Added value of supplier

As one of the AM technology vendors in the AM for Precision plaza at the Precision Fair, Renishaw is offering software designed precisely to print build jobs developed by an OEM's engineers exactly as they are printed at a supplier's facility. An end-to-end solution for critical parts. Philippe Reinders Folmer, director Renishaw Benelux: "All the parameters are in the file. The operator can't change anything. The only influencing factors then are things like gas flow, cleaning and powder handling."

It's about replicating parts if necessary far from home, with quality adequately assured - Philippe Reinders Folmer, Director Renishaw Benelux

Renishaw wants to use this to minimize operator influence on final quality, ensuring consistent quality. That seems less attractive to suppliers? So what do you add as a supplier? Philippe Reinders Folmer: "The added value of the supplier is in the finishing of the pieces, inspection and ultra-clean delivery. And not in the printing process itself. There should be as few variables in that as possible."

Rein van der Mast points out that the same thoughts are prevalent in the Defense Department, which is looking at the potential of additive manufacturing. "It's about replicating parts if necessary far from home, where quality is adequately assured."

Support from IAMM

Both suppliers have a long track record when it comes to additive manufacturing. "We knew there would be a valley of disillusionment, but we didn't expect it to be this long and this deep. Now things are starting to fall into place," says John Hagelaars. It has been a learning process, though. After all, the whole AM process including everything involved is difficult, Henk Jansen adds.

Ultimately, the market needs to pull additive manufacturing instead of a handful of Willie Roots continuing to push. For this to happen, it should not only be about technology, but about the entire chain, Rein van der Mast (Fontys University of Applied Sciences), initiator of IAMM

To support the Dutch metal industry in the implementation of additive manufacturing, several colleges (Fontys, Windesheim and Saxion) have combined their expertise in a sustainable collaboration: Industrial AM in Metals (IAMM). In it, universities (Delft, Enschede), tech companies and other organizations also participate. At the Precision Fair in Den Bosch (Nov. 15 and 16), the project team will have a counter where fair visitors can ask questions.

With their partners, the colleges want to help industry recognize and seize the opportunities. Rein van der Mast (Fontys University of Applied Sciences), initiator of IAMM: "Ultimately, the market has to pull additive manufacturing instead of a handful of Willie Roots continuing to push. For that to happen, it should not only be about technology, but about the whole chain.

After all, the chains are connected to the market, not the techies." The IAMM counter provides low-threshold access to knowledge, training, testing facilities and so on. For metal printing, the partners have several technologies in addition to the well-known laser powder bed printing. Think of Meltio's DED technology and cold spray, relatively unknown techniques that are, however, very suitable for machinists.

What is needed?

Are these and other new technologies needed to further land AM? John Hagelaars thinks there needs to be a better link between the additive and the machining process, for example, with zero-point fixturing systems, so that from the metal printer you can place parts directly onto a 5-axis machining center.

Henk Jansen expects other printing techniques to gain greater acceptance. Think of Electron Beam Melting, the Arcam technology with which FMI Additive in Tilburg prints large series of implants. 

Some manufacturers are working on that. "But it's really still two worlds, there's a lot to be gained there." Henk Jansen expects that (as the market matures) other printing techniques will become better accepted. For example, Electron Beam Melting, the Arcam technology with which FMI Additive in Tilburg prints large series of implants. In the precision industry, it is mainly Laser Powderbed Fusion that is ringing the bell. "While electron beam has the advantage that we print in vacuum at a high temperature and therefore build up almost no stresses. And we can print support-free."

Unknown, however, makes unloved. Rein van der Mast sees potential in the digital twin for better prediction of the outcome of the printing process in advance and timely anticipation of deviations. Within the project, one of the graduate students investigated how reliable the Siemens NX powder bed printing predictions are. "The predictions made by the software are pretty truthful. The importance of this is that then more iterations can happen in the virtual, digital domain, saving time and costs."

Will the AM market grow now?

Is the Dutch AM market finally going to grow? John Hagelaars expects AM to remain a niche technology for another five years or so. He sees few high-tech sectors other than the semiconductor industry moving yet. That's where the IAMM counter can help. A real breakthrough will come from the engineers, when they really start engineering from the possibilities offered by 3D printing. That is currently still in its infancy. Henk Jansen expects that acceptance will continue to be gradual, as it actually is with any new technology. "When wire sparking came on the market, engineers had to learn that they could figure saw stamps in metal. That was the start of the wire EDM revolution. You see the same thing coming now with AM."

The AM for Precision plaza at the Precision Fair has 14 exhibitors and there is a meeting area where visitors can discuss matters with these participants at their leisure. The Precision Fair will take place on November 15 and 16 in the Brabanthallen in 's Hertogenbosch. The trade fair is free to visit on both days, sign up here.