Dr. Richard Grylls, Optomec LENS general manager, has presented a paper which suggests that how integrating 3D metal printing technology within a new or used CNC machine tool enables a non-disruptive way to adopt 3D printing in existing production.
Dr. Grylls’ presentation took place at the RAPID conference held at the Long Beach Convention Center in California. In addition to the presentation, the Optomec exhibit showcased 3D printed metal and printed electronics production grade applications.
Recently, under a project funded by America Makes and the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII), Optomec and its partners unveiled a legacy Fadal Vertical Mill upgraded with LENS 3D metal printing technology. The Hybrid LENS CNC Machining Center utilizes an interface familiar to the machinist and enables both additive and subtractive processes to be performed on the same metal part on the same machine.
This story is reprinted from material from Optomec, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
