Michigan-based Roush has bought an Xline 2000R additive-manufacturing machine from the German company Concept Laser, which was acquired by GE Additive in 2016 (www.ge.com/additive).

The machine, which is said to be the world’s largest powder-bed metal additive system, has a build envelope of 800 x 400 x 500mm and has been designed for the large-scale production of parts such as engine cylinder blocks.

Dean Massab, executive vice-president of business development, said: “During the past year, Roush has invested millions of dollars in new additive-manufacturing equipment to expand our reach into more industries.

"Investing in the latest additive-manufacturing technology continues our commitment to innovative high-performance solutions — from concept maturation and optimisation, all the way through to hardware integration and development.”

Roush has been providing additive-manufacturing and rapid-prototyping services — commonly known as 3-D printing — for more than 15 years.

The company’s latest investment adds new fused deposition modelling with large-frame machines from Stratasys, direct metal laser melting equipment from EOS, and capabilities in design for additive and topology optimisation to its existing stereolithography, selective laser sintering and rapid prototyping services.

The company’s services that support its additive manufacturing include: 3-D scanning; metallurgical testing and inspection; machining, fabrication and assembly; and full-spectrum design engineering.

Roush’s 3-D printing capabilities also include working with advanced materials such as production-grade thermoplastics and carbon-fibre-filled nylon material.

Aerospace customers benefit from the company’s use of Ultem materials with their high heat and chemical resistance, while automotive industry customers benefit from the availability of production material (such as ABS, PC and PPSF) for prototype and production parts without the need for tooling.