News & Media Global AME News MTC Upgrades Metal 3D Printing With New AMCM M 290-2 FLX Machin

MTC Upgrades Metal 3D Printing With New AMCM M 290-2 FLX Machin

Jul 22, 2024

Connor Fulton - Manufacturing Technology Centre

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MTC Upgrades Metal 3D Printing With New AMCM M 290-2 FLX Machin

MTC pushes limits of metal additive manufacturing with AMCM M 290-2 FLX.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, UK, is enhancing its capability in metal additive manufacturing by adding an M 290-2 FLX machine from AMCM GmbH. Such an advanced machine would boost productivity, material innovation, and process efficiency for high performance.

Key Features of AMCM M 290-2 FLX

2 × 1200 W Lasers: Full field overlap is provided by two powerful 'nLIGHT' lasers operating at 1200 W to make the system equivalent to dual spot. This provides full access of both scanners to all areas of the build plate for maximum flexibility in build orientation.

Productivity Gains: M 290-2 FLX improves productivity hugely in all key high-temperature materials, not least IN718 nickel-chromium alloy, which can be processed at twice the speed of standard single 400W laser processes, whilst retaining mechanical and surface properties.

Atmosphere Control: Maintains a stable atmosphere of under 50 ppm, which is very crucial for fast processes and materials that are sensitive to oxidation.

High-temperature build platform: To 500°C, supporting critical pre- and post-treatment processes for high-performance aluminum alloys and refractory metals.

Applications and Benefits

The MTC is one of the UK's recognized National Centres for Additive Manufacturing, and will use the M 290-2 FLX to evaluate pure copper AM processes targeting industrial quality and performance. This machine aligns with applications in aerospace and defense, where the ability to generate accurate contouring and increased productivity is vital. In addition, it offers even greater value in these applications by assisting in the reduction of post-processing needs, as implementation includes advanced in-situ beam interactions and in-process monitoring.

Strategic Acquisition Such an acquisition underpins the MTC's commitment to driving progress in AM technology. Providing companies with access to state-of-the-art AM capability allows MTC to enable the high-value, lower-cost production of performance-critical components. This will then drive further availability of transformative technology across the UK.

This article is based on information from "MTC adds AMCM’s new M 290-2 FLX metal Additive Manufacturing machine" by

AM, M. (2024) MTC adds Amcm’s new M 290-2 FLX Metal Additive Manufacturing Machine, Metal Additive Manufacturing. Available at: https://www.metal-am.com/mtc-adds-amcms-new-m-290-2-flx-metal-additive-manufacturing-machine/ (Accessed: 04 July 2024).