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CNC WEST August/September 2018 www.CNC-West.com 63 objectives,” believes Israel. “We can help companies deter- mine whether additive has value before they invest in it.” Glenn Redding, director of engineering for ESAB Welding & Cutting Products, agrees, saying that, “Additive manufacturing can be investigated and explore for unique applications and pain points for manufacturers dealing with high-mix/low-volume parts and who are driving for improved operational efficiencies.” He notes that AM could help manufacturers provide ad- ditional resources to manage special requests from custom- ers, respond faster by eliminating the need to produce tooling and do so without disrupting primary production capacity. In fact, many believe that today’s fastest growing segment for AM, both polymer-based and metal-based, is for creating jigs, fixtures and other job aids that reduce cost and time-to- market. “When people see how additive manufacturing fits with current operations and understand the symbiotic relationship between the additive and subtractive technologies, it gives them confidence to move forward,” says Eelman. Ted Toth, senior technical advisor, Rosenberger North America, has attended every single IMTS since 1974. He says that, “from a job shop perspective, you can see addi- tive as a threat or an opportunity. Job shops need to embrace and understand additive processes, so they can support post- process machining of metal additive products.” Tooling Trends “People are beginning to see that they can very quickly and locally print their own tooling and therefore increase the innovation and decrease the overall cycle time to develop that next big product,” states Bill Peter, director of the Manufac- turing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a long-time collaborator with IMTS for creating demonstrations for the Emerging Technology Cen- ter. Peter notes that the United States lost about 37 percent of the die and tool industry in less than a decade and currently imports 70 to 80 percent of its tools. Having demonstrated success with polymer molds, the MDF is now examining how to move forward with metal 3D printing. “We want to look at cost-effective feed stocks and in- crease the deposition rate of additive systems that could make tools,” he says, noting that tooling greatly affects lead times and the cost and rate of innovation. To directly address this point, Vader Systems will dem- onstrate its Magnet-o-Jet™ technology to melt and “jet” a continuous aluminum wire (e.g., no powder) to create metal parts. Vader has a partnership with the Rochester Institute of Technology, which is helping co-develop the technology and new materials, such as aerospace grades of aluminum that are traditionally non-weldable and difficult to print with other AM processes. “I cannot overstate the rate of growth in AM technol- ogy,” says Jennifer Moran, director of sales and marketing for Vader Systems and four-time IMTS attendee. “At IMTS 2014, many people didn’t understand basic concepts of AM. Now, people understand nuances between technology and want to discuss specific applications and materials. We bring the entire Vader team, from C-level executives to mechani- cal engineers, so people who have different levels of inter- est, from financial to technical in nature, can get answers and move forward.” Software for Additive Manufacturing In a snapshot, the industry has gone from using AM for prototyping, to building jigs and fixtures and finally to serial manufacture of end parts. It’s a recommended path of tech- nology adoption, as it helps companies become familiar in di- gestible increments. As companies move forward, however, they need to invest in AM-specific software. “Originally, machines, materials and CAD/CAM soft- ware were made for prototyping. Now we need tools that are more robust to produce desirable, repeatable parts,” says Duann Scott business development & strategy, Additive for Autodesk. Scott explains that AM is an umbrella term for many different technologies and each technology has its own problems to solve. “With our Nebfabb® suite of additive manufacturing software, we can streamline workflow from design and op- timization, preparation and simulation and then processing,” Scott says. One of the issues that many users of AM grapple with is that they don’t understand what happens during the build process, and that induces more trial and error time. “What we’re seeing in metal printing is that there’s a lot of thermal distortion in the parts from the energy directed to the powder,” says Scott. “Autodesk software can simulate the build process and look for distortion, compensate and create successful prints for those parts.” While Doug Dingus, Plural’s director of service, has more than 20 years of CAD and related software experience, he will attend IMTS for the first time this year. “Jumping into the additive manufacturing scene feels to me a lot like CAD did in the 90s,” he said. “If you look back at solid modeling and how it changed so many industries, this looks exactly the same way. AM is on the cusp of a big explo- sion. I think IMTS is the place to go, because that’s where all the industry players will meet.” With all the possibilities at IMTS 2018, “I believe the best way to accomplish your objectives is to have a plan going into the show,” says Jeff Holtzapple, business devel- opment manager, Additive Manufacturing, Morris Group, which represents Desktop Metal and other manufacturers. “I think if you use the MyShow Planner and make appointments with exhibitors, you’ll have a much more successful time at IMTS.”