For more than 40 years, Renishaw has delivered innovations that have been milestones in industrial metrology. From the original touch-trigger probe and motorised indexing head, repeatable stylus changing and modular scanning systems, Renishaw sensors for co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs) are an industry standard.
The 5-axis measurement product range represents the biggest step-change in measurement capability ever introduced, delivering unprecedented speed and measurement flexibility, whilst avoiding the speed versus accuracy compromises inherent in conventional techniques. Whether the REVO scanning or the PH20 touch-trigger, Renishaw's 5-axis systems boost measurement throughput, minimise lead times and give manufacturers a more comprehensive appreciation of the quality of their products.
Metal 3D printing systems manufacturer and solutions provider for a wide range of industries worldwide.
We offer a total solution for metal additive manufacturing, from systems, metal powders, ancillaries and software through to an expert advice and support service.
Advanced metal additive manufacturing systems are designed and built by Renishaw to fulfill a range of industry applications where durability, customised parts and precision are key. Industries include dental, medical, mould tooling, automotive, industrial tooling, aerospace, and creative.
Renishaw's metal powder bed fusion is an additive manufacturing technology that uses a high powered ytterbium fibre laser to fuse fine metallic powders together creating functional 3-dimensional parts.
Renishaw apply metal powder bed fusion technology, as classified by ASTM International. The technology, however, is still often referred to as layer melting, metal additive manufacturing, metal 3D printing, laser sintering and metal AM.
The process is digitally driven, direct from sliced 3D CAD data. For each slice of CAD data a thin even layer of fine metal powder is deposited across the build plate, then the selected areas of the powder are precisely melted by the laser. This process is repeated building up, layer by layer, until the build is complete.
Renishaw's additive manufacturing systems can build in a range of metals, including titanium alloy Ti6Al4V, cobalt chromium, stainless steel, nickel alloys Inconel 625 and Inconel 718 and aluminium alloy AlSi10Mg.
Renishaw's powder bed fusion technology uses a range of metal powders including titanium alloy Ti6Al4V, nickel alloys inconel 625 and 718, cobalt chromium, and aluminium alloy AlSi10Mg.
Powder metallurgy (PM) is the general term for the consolidation of metal powders into solid components using heat and pressure to fuse the particles together, it is alternatively referred to as press and sinter. There are various technologies that fall under the PM umbrella such as hot isostatic pressing (HIP), metal injection moulding (MIM) and spark plasma sintering (SPS). All of these technologies can be used to manufacture near net shape components, reducing the requirement for subtractive machining which can create high levels of waste material.
Renishaw's additive manufacturing technology also uses metal powders as the feed material, however rather than using pressure and heat to fuse the particles together in a die, the powder particles are melted using a high power laser in sequential ultra-thin layers approximately the thickness of a human hair. The technique of using fine powders and very thin layers to build up metal components means that highly complex geometries are possible. The capability to include fine meshes, internal channels and to only place material where it is needed means that the technology can be used to reduce the material usage, increase functionality, consolidate multiple parts and manufacture geometries that are practically impossible by alternative methods.
Renishaw's unique inert atmosphere generation ensures a high quality build environment.
The term inert means 'chemically inactive', so an inert atmosphere is an environment in which powder bed fusion can take place without the risk of contamination from reactive gases that exist in the air, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. Renishaw use argon gas for the build environment of its additive manufacturing systems due to the fact that it is both inert and plentiful - the third most abundant gas in the earth's atmosphere.
An inert atmosphere is essential for the powder bed fusion process, in order to ensure that the metal parts being built do not become contaminated by air molecules that can change the chemical and physical properties of the final components.
The RenAM 500M is a laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing system designed specifically for the production of metal components on the factory floor. It features automated powder and waste handling systems that enable consistent process quality, reduce operator touch times and ensure high standards of system safety. The system build volume is 250 mm × 250 mm × 350 mm.
The RenAM 500M is built using a Renishaw in house designed and manufactured optical system and control platform which forms the basis for our future additive manufacturing systems product range.
The Renishaw AM 400 is the latest development of the Renishaw AM250 platform. It features the most recent system updates including a larger SafeChange™ filter, improved optical control software, revised gas flow and window protection system and a new 400 W optical system which gives a reduced beam diameter of 70 µm. The system build volume is 250 mm × 250 mm × 300 mm.
Existing 200 Watt material files for the AM250 system are directly transferable to the AM 400.
AM 400 is equipped with the features of the existing AM250, such as open materials parameters, small factory footprint, class leading inert atmosphere and low gas usage, with the added advantage of the PlusPac upgrade as standard.The AM250 features an external powder hopper with valve interlocks to allow additional material to be added whilst the process is running. It is possible to remove the hopper for cleaning or to exchange with a secondary hopper for materials change, using the universal silo lift. This means that multiple material types can be interchanged on the AM250 platform with relative ease. The powder overflow containers are outside the chamber and have isolation valves so that unused materials can be sieved and reintroduced to the process via the hopper while the system is running. The system has a build volume of 250 mm × 250 mm × 300 mm.