JEOL Installing Metal 3D Printer at Cumberland Additive

JEOL will install its first electron beam melting (EBM) powder bed fusion (PBF) system in North America at the Cumberland Additive Inc. (CAI) facility in Pittsburgh’s Neighborhood 91. This metal 3D printing e-beam system will expand capabilities, primarily for serial production of parts.

Cumberland is a trusted AM provider that manufactures prototypes through serial production of parts, supporting the aerospace, defense, space and energy markets. Additional services offered at Cumberland include Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM), engineering, postprocessing and quality inspection. JEOL is a well-known provider in the field of electron optics and its EBM metal 3D printer can produce serially built nested parts.

The collaboration between the two companies brings JEOL new opportunities to demonstrate the abilities of the EBM system in a dedicated environment for additive manufacturing (AM). Cumberland is an AS9100D- and ITAR-certified company with established processes and procedures that meet rigorous serial production requirements.

“We are delighted to align with CAI’s existing customer base and expansion strategy with aerospace, medical and energy industries, and to showcase the production quality and reliability of our 3D printer that will be centrally located at Neighborhood 91, the first fully integrated production campus dedicated to additive manufacturing,” says Robert Pohorenec, JEOL USA president. “In addition to being a centralized resource for the AM industry, Neighborhood 91 attracts collaborative academic research opportunities and workforce development at world-class universities like Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh.”

The past year has been significant for JEOL’s AM group in the U.S. “We are currently pursuing AM-specific aerospace fusion-based metal additive manufacturing qualifications that will validate the robustness and reliability of JEOL designed hardware,” Pohorenec adds.

Cumberland Additive welcomes the new partnership. ”Cumberland is excited to partner with JEOL to bring in this new state-of-the-art, electron beam technology that promises cost effective and efficient manufacturing, with a diversity of material offerings for our customers,” says John Jenkins, Cumberland Additive president. “ We are honored to be the first North America partner location for this exciting new technology.”

JEOL’s EBM 3D printing technology began in 2014, derived from the company’s decades-long expertise in the development and production of advanced electron optics technology used for research and industrial applications, including electron microscopes and e-beam lithography tools with unique vacuum technology. The JEOL EBM 3D printer is designed for serial production with maximum uptime. Emitter lifetime is guaranteed over 1,500 hours, which will give CAI confidence in its ability to provide timely solutions to its customers.

The company says another key differentiator in JEOL 3D printing technology is the EBM’s clean, helium-free production environment that prevents smoke events and powder scattering. At this time, the materials that can be printed are Ti6Al4V, Nickel Alloy 718 and pure copper.

---

• Read about JEOL’s first foray into additive manufacturing with its electron beam melting technology as it created its first 3D printer.
   
• Learn more about JEOL’s E-beam metal additive manufacturing 3D printer for improved productivity. This electron beam melting powder bed fusion machine is said to achieve high productivity, reproducibility and accuracy due to its automatic correction of focus and spot shape.