Deposition nozzle add-on to CNC mill

[RDL]

Are you familiar with this?

With additive manufacturing, it’s essentially a motion control problem. There are extruders, and you’re melting a powder bed, but it all comes down to control and multiple axes – the same technology that 5-axis machine tools operate.

In the video above, we look at how additive manufacturing technology could be combined with machine-tool technology.
“We had bought a 3D printer some years ago and decided that with our motion platforms, how could we just add a deposition nozzle into a machine tool, and so that’s exactly what we did,” said Jason Jones, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies.
The deposition module shown in the video above streams liquid metal, which can be used for additive processes when met with the tool’s laser. As the tool functions the same any other CNC tool, it can be loaded back into the tool magazine and replaced to finish the metal in situ.

Deposition Nozzles for Additive Manufacturing with Standard CNC Machines - YouTube

“Fundamentally, this is a welding process,” explained Jones.
“You need laser energy, feedstock metal powder and shield gas. Those three get delivered and off you go. The most popular materials we use are hard to machine, like Inconel, nickel-based super-alloy materials, steels and cobalt-based materials.”

In the video, Jones demonstrates the repair and remanufacture capabilities that the nozzles can afford with an Inconel propeller from a Cummins diesel engine. Jones presents a model where the tips have been worn off the propeller blades, and a remanufactured comparison where the tips had been effectively recreated using the same material as the base part.
The Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies deposition nozzles are compatible with most machine tool systems, Jones added.
“We work with many machine tool builders, who will buy these heads and integrate them into their machine tools and supply them as new – we power half of the hybrid machine tool models that are available on the market now.”
The deposition nozzles can be retrofitted to existing machines and can be programmed using standard G-code and M-code additions.
For more information, visit the Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies website.

 

[HuFlungDung]

That is definitely cool. I wonder how expensive it is. I can see a lot more use for something like that than just 5 axis work, but I suppose they'd want to tap the creamiest part of the market first.

I wonder where the power comes from to operate them? And the powder? Is it battery operated and requires continual recharging?

 

[nerdyrcdriver]

I see their end goal to be able to build up the perfect stock to be machined down to the part dimensions and tolerance, but we aren't quit there yet. A very practical use case that I see is avoiding scrap parts. Everyone has done it at some point, some stupid little detail completely overlooked and a dimension is off. Provided the tool can reach the area, more material could be built back up to be machined to the correct dimension. The biggest struggle with this is actually getting the tool to reach. And cost justification. If it takes you $xx worth of time to screw around with this thing just to get it ready to build material up, and the part is anywhere close to that price it isn't going to be worth it compared to just making a new one.

 

[RDL]

...I wonder where the power comes from to operate them? And the powder? Is it battery operated and requires continual recharging?

Here is a photo from their website which shows that the tool is more substantial than a tool holder on steroids. I imagine if you control the carriage speed and rpm of the chuck you could use this on the lathe as well.

 

[mkd]

I see their end goal to be able to build up the perfect stock to be machined down to the part dimensions and tolerance, but we aren't quit there yet. A very practical use case that I see is avoiding scrap parts. Everyone has done it at some point, some stupid little detail completely overlooked and a dimension is off. Provided the tool can reach the area, more material could be built back up to be machined to the correct dimension. The biggest struggle with this is actually getting the tool to reach. And cost justification. If it takes you $xx worth of time to screw around with this thing just to get it ready to build material up, and the part is anywhere close to that price it isn't going to be worth it compared to just making a new one.

THE "add-on" endmill machinist have been joking about for decades

 

[RDL]

It appears that there are other players in this field.
Additive Manufacturing - What is (AM) - Optomec

The Role of Hybrid Manufacturing in 3D Printing > ENGINEERING.com

"The result was a tool-changeable deposition system that Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies dubbed AMBIT, launched at EMO 2013. When the company began marketing the technology, it found that end users were the first to bite, but, eventually, machine tool manufacturers also took to the idea of incorporating the company’s technology into existing systems. Now, you can find Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies in a number of machines from large manufacturers like Mazak." ...

 

[bryan_machine]

At IMTS 2014 (last time I went) DMG was showing a machine with such a device - not sure who they sourced it from. The machine had a whole extra cabinet of stuff, and a special tool changer. But it could indeed do deposition, and then switch to being a normal 5-axis DMU.

I think part of the 5-axis focus is:
(a) you want to be able to build parts out as well as up - being able to move it around (like you would a weldment) probably helps.
(b) I surmise it's really only economical for knarly parts that are often 5-axis anyway - if you are making aluminum plates with tapped holes you wouldn't bother with any of this.

 

[deadlykitten]

Okuma LASER EX Series - YouTube
Multitasking Machines

 

[Rstewart]

At IMTS 2014 (last time I went) DMG was showing a machine with such a device - not sure who they sourced it from. The machine had a whole extra cabinet of stuff, and a special tool changer. But it could indeed do deposition, and then switch to being a normal 5-axis DMU.

I think part of the 5-axis focus is:
(a) you want to be able to build parts out as well as up - being able to move it around (like you would a weldment) probably helps.
(b) I surmise it's really only economical for knarly parts that are often 5-axis anyway - if you are making aluminum plates with tapped holes you wouldn't bother with any of this.

I actually am pretty sure we're getting one of these in the near future. I'd much rather just have a nice 5X mill.
It's all about printing around here, Lots of machining printed parts lately.