Additive manufacturing technology uses wire instead of powder

Gefertec GmbH offers 3DMP® additive manufacturing (AM) technology for the production of near-net-shape metal parts. According to the manufacturer, the quality of the parts is comparable to standard manufacturing methods.

The technology is based on electric arc welding using wire rather than powder as original material, so the final part is formed welding layer by welding layer. Production speed can be up to 600 cm³ per hour depending on the material.

The technology is ready to use in the new GTarc machine, which is available in a 3-axis version for parts up to 3 m³ and a 5-axis version for parts up to 0.8 m^³. The machining center is suitable for producing complex and large parts made of steel, nickel, titanium, and aluminum.

CAM software calculates the data out of the CAD-modeled part, which enables the CNC unit to position the welding head precisely. The machine produces the near-net-shape part fully automatically. The part is finished externally by a standard CNC milling machine.

The GTarc machine is modular to allow for future upgrades, such as the addition of a pan-tilt table to the 3-axis version for 5-axis functionality.