ExOne has acquired the assets of Freshmade 3D, an Ohio, USA-based startup that owns a patented way to create tooling out of sand forms 3D printed on ExOne additive manufacturing (AM) machines.
Freshmade 3D’s AMClad process can infiltrate and coat 3D printed sand forms to give them strength for a wide range of tooling applications, including vacuum forming, the company said.
The patented method can reduce of time spent waiting for conventional tooling, and offer a 30-50% cost savings, according to ExOne.
It can be used for a wide range of tooling applications, including composite layup, vacuum forming, compression molds, urethane casting molds, trim fixtures, hydroforming, sheet metal stamping, and more.
‘We plan to scale up this process for a global aerospace customer, who intends to use this tooling for composite layup of parts,’ said John Hartner, ExOne CEO. ‘This is an ideal solution for companies looking to shorten supply chains and produce tooling and final products locally.’
This story uses material from ExOne, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
