Renishaw has announced the unveiling of the first additive manufacturing system to be specifically designed and developed for industrial use.
Provisionally named EVO Project and engineered in-house, the company stated that new machine has “a strong emphasis on automation, monitoring technologies and reduced operator interaction, and is designed for single material industrial production.”
According to Renishaw, powder handling is almost entirely hands off, while powder recirculation, recycling and recovery are all carried out within the inert atmosphere of the system, protecting both the user and the integrity of the material.
“The EVO Project machine incorporates a high power 500W laser which will aid productivity while still maintaining precision and surface finish. It also boasts a class leading high capacity filtration system, a large 19” HMI user interface and intelligent workflow to further reduce the need for operator interaction,” the company explained.
Forecast to be available in the second-half of 2015, the machine is designed to complement and not replace the current Renishaw AM250 system, which is reportedly better suited for flexible manufacturing and research applications where changes between materials are a requirement. The AM250 has an interchangeable hopper system which allows various materials to be used on the same machine.
Renishaw noted that it would continue to develop the AM250 system, a system which is also benefitting from some of the developments made for the EVO Project machine. This has led to the recent introduction of the PlusPac upgrade pack, which offers improvements to Z-axis seals and chamber lighting, plus substantially improved gas recirculation and filtration.
Renishaw’s EVO Project machine, its AM250 systems and an AM250 fitted with the PlusPac upgrade are all being displayed on its stand at Euromold 2014, taking place between November 25 and 28 in Frankfurt.
