Spain-based Meltio, a disruptive wire-laser metal deposition additive manufacturing (AM) technology leader, has announced a collaboration with One Off Robotics in the USA, an industry leader in robotic AM.

Their latest collaboration has resulted in the development of the One Off Robotics Cell, a turn-key metal AM workcell designed for a faster, more efficient, and reliable part production cycle. It is a robotic metal additive system powered by Meltio’s Wire Laser Metal Deposition (W-LMD) technology.

The system produces cost-effective, finely printed metal parts for applications in industries including automotive, aerospace, mining, oil and gas, and many others. With an impressive deposition rate of up to 1kg an hour, it excels at creating clean parts that are fully dense and mechanically equivalent or superior to those created by traditional methods. The system seamlessly integrates control of the cell, allowing the user to easily adjust settings and 3-D print quickly. The eight-axis robot simplifies complex geometry 3-D printing and is configured to work with the Meltio Space robotic slicer, as well as other robotic additive software.

The One Off Robotics Cell uses standard welding wire and produces parts that are consistent, spatter-free, and clean. The robot and positioner are installed on a self-supporting platform inside a custom, laser-safe enclosure, which ensures safe operation and quick installation. The system package includes the robot, W-LMD system, two-axis positioner, Meltio machine vision laser alignment tool, welding camera, and safety enclosure. Package add-ons are available for the thermal SWIR camera, multi-material dual wire printing, and hot wire printing for increased speed. Meltio and One Off Robotics will also provide system training and instructional materials upon delivery to ensure unparalleled technical support for end users in any industry.

Meltio engine product manager Alejandro Nieto said: “Meltio’s main commitment with this new product offering is to offer all types of industries the ability to manage the entire manufacturing process using our metal 3-D printing technology consisting of a Meltio head integrated into a robotic arm and a safe environment, to just produce parts. This new hardware system allows the customer to receive a ready-to-use cell for robotic metal 3-D printing, removing the integration process and long assembly lead times.”

One Off Robotics CEO Nick Johnson said: “One Off Robotics has spent years designing and building large-format robotic additive manufacturing work cells. We are thrilled to expand our offerings to include a turnkey Meltio robotic additive system. Our focus is customer success, so we designed this system from the ground up to be quickly installed and easily operated.”

The One Off Robotics Cell is an evolution of Meltio’s standard Engine Robot Integration and is also certified to operate with KUKA and ABB robotic arms. The new system serves as an advanced, yet user-friendly system designed to empower industries across the world to incorporate Meltio’s metal AM technology.