WAAM3D, a company founded by a research team from
Cranfield University, has launched RoboWAAM, a next generation large-format 3-D metal additive manufacturing (AM) platform. The new 3-D printer with sensing hardware and proprietary software increases the potential for multi-metre metallic part development in aerospace, defence, oil and gas and research communities.
WAAM3D is already a leader in large-scale metal AM, thanks to the depth of research on which the company is built; the institution has been pioneering R&D in the field of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) since 2006. With the launch of the company’s new platform the potential for large format 3-D metal AM has grown significantly.
For the first time in large format metal AM, RoboWAAM features ShapeTech, a brand new interferometric sensor which reconstructs the 3-D profile of the deposited structure, extracting the layer height value all around the component. It gives immediate confidence in the consistency of deposition and in the achievement of key geometrical targets while 3-D printing is in progress, eliminating the need for lengthy laser scans or touch-probe quality checks.
Filomeno Martina, CEO and co-founder of WAAM3D, said: “With the launch of RoboWAAM, we have taken the production of large format 3-D metal AM to the next level. RoboWAAM is capable of processing virtually any material available in the form of wire and it has a maximum build envelope of 2m x 2m x 2m. This makes it an ideal cost-effective 3-D printing option for new as well as repaired metal components that require high structural integrity.”
The platform was awarded first place in the
TCT 3-D Printing and Additive Manufacturing Awards, non-polymer hardware category, earlier this month.