Renishaw RenAM 500Q Ultra AM System Features Productivity-Boosting Tempus Technology

Photo Credit: Renishaw

Renishaw RenAM 500Q Ultra AM system is a laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) system that can cut build times by up to 50% without compromising on quality, and gives metal additive manufacturing (AM) users the tools to produce parts faster. The system includes all the existing benefits of the RenAM 500 series — including industry-leading optical, chamber and gas flow design — while adding new productivity-boosting Tempus technology and advanced process monitoring software.

What Is Tempus Technology?

With Tempus technology, as the recoater spreads a layer of powder, the lasers “follow” the recoater, melting the powder being spread before the recoater completes its stroke. When the recoater goes back to the doser to collect more powder, the lasers “jump over” the recoater and continue melting the current layer, mitigating wiper time.

As the recoater begins spreading the next layer of powder, the lasers finish the previous layer, and simultaneously start processing the new layer. Tempus technology reduces the dwell time per layer, thereby shortening cycle times.

Tempus technology incorporates scanning algorithms that enable the laser to fire while the recoater is moving, saving up to nine seconds per build layer. The RenAM 500Q Ultra’s advanced process monitoring software also delivers detailed insights into the build, equipping users with data and providing in-process visibility.

The RenAM 500Q Ultra metal AM system is the latest model in the RenAM 500 family, which also includes the Flex system, which is optimized for R&D work, and the flagship closed-loop powder recirculation model for series production. The entire RenAM 500 family is available with one (500S) or four (500Q) high powered lasers, each able to access the whole powder bed simultaneously.

“Ultra is the ultimate system for productivity in Renishaw's current range,” says Louise Callanan, director of Additive Manufacturing at Renishaw. “We designed it for AM users who want full-scale production at the lowest cost per part. “The RenAM 500 Ultra system produces exactly the same high part quality you expect from the rest of the RenAM 500 series, but twice as fast. We're excited to bring this new model to market as we believe that increasing productivity and lowering cost per part will facilitate wider industry adoption of AM.”

Learn about how the Renishaw Tempus technology reduces metal additive manufacturing build times. A new scanning algorithm for Renishaw’s RenAM 500 series of metal additive manufacturing systems enables the laser to fire while the recoater is moving, which over the build cycle can reduce total build time by up to 50% with no reduction in part quality.
Listen to this episode of AM Radio to hear more about Renishaw’s Tempus technology in our coverage of Formnext 2023. It’s included in AM’s conversation about machine improvements that don’t rely on hardware and starts at the 8:17 point in the episode.