On June 4, it was learned from foreign media that as part of a 1.2 million pounds (1.5 million US dollars) project funded by Innovate UK, the British Government’s Technology Strategy Committee, a consortium of seven companies and organizations is using additive materials. Manufacturing to achieve low-cost remanufacturing in the UK tool and mold industry. The project, called DigiTool, aims to cope with expensive mold replacement and repair costs, and to extend service life and functional performance through additive manufacturing and other new technologies.

The Advanced Forming Research Center (AFRC) of the University of Strathclyde is providing DigiTool with additive manufacturing technology, and its laser metal deposition (LMD) hybrid machine is also capable of CNC machining. Toolroom Technology Limited (TTL) is a UK-based software solutions provider that led the project. Other partners include Applied Tech Systems (ATS), Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies (HMT), INSPHERE Ltd and Kimber Mills International, all of them They are all specialized companies in the field of advanced manufacturing.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, AFRC’s processing and additive manufacturing team leader, said: “Investment in the tool and mold industry has been slow, making it difficult for organizations with limited resources to rethink their manufacturing processes. Through our additive manufacturing digital framework, we These companies will be provided with new research, technology and insights at a lower cost."

Implement different advanced manufacturing technologies from one machine

The alliance and its DigiTool project aim to help organizations of all sizes adopt additive manufacturing so that they can remanufacture damaged molds.

Using new technologies and processes such as additive manufacturing, companies in the tool and mold industry can overcome the cost of replacement and repair through remanufacturing. This will help the company save costs and materials while improving its sustainability with less waste.

Fitzpatrick added: “The alliance is bringing different expertise to the project, hoping to strengthen the competition in the entire industry by adopting innovations and new technologies.”

Using the LMD hybrid machine platform, the alliance is currently studying additive manufacturing solutions to remanufacture damaged areas on molds. Use scanning and metrology to identify areas of wear, and then use additive manufacturing to remanufacture molds. The initial project trials have been completed, and the remanufactured molds in Kimber Mills' railway applications are currently being analyzed.

It is worth noting that the LMD hybrid machine tool is a traditional CNC machine tool that uses additive manufacturing technology to transform it. It aims to prove to small and medium-sized enterprises that they can use existing CNC technology to adopt additive manufacturing without the need for new machines. Spend money. ARFC's LMD hybrid machine is suitable for the DigitTool framework and aims to provide a single digital platform integrating new technologies for small and medium-sized enterprises. Fitzpatrick explained: “Many companies in this industry may already have a machine that can be retrofitted to integrate laser metal deposition, which can upgrade existing assets and save the cost of buying a new machine.”

Link to this article： Research mold 3D printing remanufacturing technology

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