Contract Manufacturers

Big Metal Additive: The Difference Between a Shape and a Part Is Quality

Preparing to scale directed energy deposition to ongoing full production is not a technological challenge: DED is ready. But it is an organizational challenge, says the company founder. Here is what it means to implement a quality system.

Peter Zelinski
Editor-in-Chief, Additive Manufacturing

Video: 5" Diameter Navy Artillery Rounds Made Through Robot Directed Energy Deposition (DED) Instead of Forging

Big Metal Additive conceives additive manufacturing production factory making hundreds of Navy projectile housings per day.

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How 3D Printing Aids Sustainability for Semiconductor Equipment: The Cool Parts Show Bonus

Hittech worked with its customer to replace fully machined semiconductor trays with trays made via DED by Norsk Titanium. The result is dramatic savings in tool consumption and material waste.

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Merit3D Protoduction 4.0 Offers Three Pathways to Help Customers Achieve Mass Production Through Additive Manufacturing

The company’s manufacturing program is designed to customize the ‘product development to production’ process for customers who are at different stages in the mass production process.

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3D Printed Titanium Replaces Aluminum for Unmanned Aircraft Wing Splice: The Cool Parts Show #72

Rapid Plasma Deposition produces the near-net-shape preform for a newly designed wing splice for remotely piloted aircraft from General Atomics. The Cool Parts Show visits Norsk Titanium, where this part is made.

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Quadrus: Powder Management Tactics for Tungsten Rhenium and Other AM Alloys

The expert in additive manufacturing of high-value parts for the Defense Department often must change from one exotic material to another in its powder bed machines. Cleaning is a core competency. Here are lessons of this company’s system for working with an ever-changing mix of 3D printed alloys.

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3 Attributes of the “Second Wave” of AM Part Producers

Successful contact manufacturers in additive look more and more like successful contract manufacturers in general.

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SolidCAM Additive - Upgrade Your Manufacturing
World According To
Airtech
Airtech International Inc.

Robot Vs. Gantry for Large-Format Additive Manufacturing (Includes Video)

Additive Engineering Solutions, specialist at 3D printing very large parts and tools on gantry machines, now also uses a robot for large-format AM. Here is how the robot compares.

Peter Zelinski
Editor-in-Chief, Additive Manufacturing

Freeform: Binder Jetting Does Not Change the Basics of Manufacturing

Rather than adapting production methodologies to additive manufacturing, this Pennsylvania contract manufacturer adapts AM to production methodologies. In general, this starts with conversation.

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How Machining Makes AM Successful for Innovative 3D Manufacturing

Connections between metal 3D printing and CNC machining serve the Indiana manufacturer in many ways. One connection is customer conversations that resemble a machining job shop. Here is a look at a small company that has advanced quickly to become a thriving additive manufacturing part producer.

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Southern Indiana’s Thriving AM Part Producer — What I Saw at Innovative 3D Manufacturing: AM Radio #49

Recorded just after the visit to the laser powder bed fusion contract manufacturer, here is a conversation exploring observations and impressions of this company and its metal 3D printing work.

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Janet Dickinson Named Endeavor 3D Chief Operating Officer

She will be responsible for managing the company’s advanced polymer and metal additive manufacturing, and quality control operations.

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Sinter-Based Additive Manufacturing Finds a Place Alongside MIM, Press and Sinter at APG

Powder metallurgy company Alpha Precision Group (APG) is applying a particular class of metal 3D printing technology for both rapid iteration in development and flexibility in production.

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How a DOD-Funded Resilient Manufacturing Ecosystem (RME) Is Coming Together at Neighborhood 91

Pittsburgh’s additive manufacturing campus doubles as a test bed for a Department of Defense project aimed at developing a reproducible ecosystem for on-demand production of critical parts.

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Acquire
North America’s Premier Molding and Moldmaking Event
AM Radio
Airtech International Inc.

Ohio-Based Startup Rebrands as Vixiv

The beta version of the company’s software addresses only weight reduction applications, while future versions will address other design goals.  

Angela Osborne
Managing Editor, Gardner Business Media

Cumberland Additive: EBM Development and AM Community Among the Benefits at Neighborhood 91

“Digital transparency” is key, says regional director Mark Straszheim, as employees oversee resources in both Pennsylvania and Texas.

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The Cold Spray Solution to the Casting, Forging Supply Chains

Startup HAMR Industries performs additive manufacturing work at Neighborhood 91 that provides an alternative to traditional casting and forging. Success so far has led to redefining the limits of its additive equipment.

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From Parts to Problem-Solving: 3DEO's Evolution with Intelligent Layering Metal 3D Printing

The technology developer and parts provider is moving beyond transactional 3D printing, in favor of holistic solutions where its AM process can have the greatest impact.

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Zeda AM Production Plant in Ohio Now Open — Thoughts on the New Facility

73,000-square-foot metal powder bed fusion plant includes extensive machining capability plus separate operational models for serving medical versus other businesses.

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The Rise of AM Factories, Metal 3D Printing, Machining Synergy and Favorite Stories from 2023: AM Radio #47

Additive Manufacturing Media editors reflect on the top 10 stories by pageviews and then share their favorites, regardless of ranking, in this podcast episode.

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Protolabs Opens New DMLS Facility to Meet Increasing Additive Demand

Protolabs recently opened the doors to its new DMLS additive manufacturing facility to support its customers’ growing demand for AM. The facility, built from the ground up, was designed to accommodate a smooth and safe workflow, continue expanding machine and technology offerings and promote burgeoning additive production. 

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The Cool Parts Show
3D printing machine trainings

Ricoh’s All-In 3D Print Offers Comprehensive On-Site 3D Printing Solution

This managed service offering expands Ricoh’s additive manufacturing (AM) capabilities by providing a holistic, single-source way for manufacturers to harness the power of AM, enabling innovation, lowering the cost of product prototyping and bringing ideas to market faster.

Angela Osborne
Managing Editor, Gardner Business Media

3DOS, AeroEdge Collaborate for Decentralized Manufacturing in Japan

The aerospace manufacturer will be the first major industrial partner for metal additive manufacturing on the 3DOS platform for decentralized additive manufacturing.

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Production AM Can Thrive in a Purpose-Built Space (But It Doesn't Need One) AM Radio #45

Fiona Lawler and Stephanie Hendrixson discuss the physical spaces where additive manufacturing is happening, from 3D printers wedged wherever they’ll fit to brand new facilities built for this purpose. 

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Additive Manufacturing's Evolving Role at Fathom Now Emphasizing Bridge Production

Bridge production is currently the biggest opportunity for additive manufacturing, says Fathom Manufacturing co-founder Rich Stump. How this service provider leverages AM while finding balance with other production capabilities.

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How Norsk Titanium Is Scaling Up AM Production — and Employment — in New York State

New opportunities for part production via the company’s forging-like additive process are coming from the aerospace industry as well as a different sector, the semiconductor industry.

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Seurat: Speed Is How AM Competes Against Machining, Casting, Forging

“We don’t ask for DFAM first,” says CEO. A new Boston-area additive manufacturing factory will deliver high-volume metal part production at unit costs beating conventional processes.

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VulcanForms Is Forging a New Model for Large-Scale Production (and It's More Than 3D Printing)

The MIT spinout leverages proprietary high-power laser powder bed fusion alongside machining in the context of digitized, cost-effective and “maniacally focused” production.

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