Siemens, Gefertec Collaborate on Additive Manufacturing Software

In the near future, users of Gefertec production systems will be able to run through the entire CAD/CAM process chain in Siemens Digital Industries Software’s NX software.

As a multidimensional directed energy deposition (DED) technology, Wire-Arc-Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) requires special functionalities and routines for path planning. As part of a development partnership between Gefertec and Siemens, the “Multi-Axis Deposition” NX CAM module has been extended to handle WAAM operations for effective processing.

As a result, users are said to benefit from a continuous digital process chain — from the component preparation via AM programming and CNC reworking through to quality control, including fully integrated PLM, enterprise resource planning (ERP) and MES functionalities.

The collaboration is designed to strengthen the industrialization of additive manufacturing (AM) technology through its full integration into the digital manufacturing landscape. The companies say that WAAM is one of the more promising technologies for AM.

The inert gas welding process, high buildup rates and easy handling of the wire as the raw material are said to make the process well suited for the production of medium-sized to large components. In contrast to other AM processes, the focus of the WAAM technology is on cost reduction and high availability.

Spare parts or components in a variety of industries (such as oil & gas, maritime, mechanical and plant engineering, transportation and aerospace) have already been successfully converted from conventional production to WAAM with substantial reductions in delivery times and costs, the company says. In addition, production is said to be more resource-efficient due to significantly lower material consumption.

As one of the first joint partners of Siemens and Gefertec, Siemens Energy is benefiting from the continuous process chain in Siemens NX to produce components using WAAM and subsequent CNC reworking. The company already uses AM technologies for its own products, but now also offers AM services for external customers.