Arcam Q20plus Promises Productivity for Aerospace

In the not-so-distant past, additive manufacturing (AM) was often viewed simply as a vehicle for rapid prototyping. The continuing evolution of the technology quickly changed that idea, particularly once metal printing processes hit the scene. In less than a decade, metal printing has gone from curiosity to an integral part of the aerospace industry.

Arcam is again targeting that specific industry with the launch of its new Arcam Q20plus. The new system is an update to the previous Arcam Q20 that was released in 2013. Both the old system and the new build parts using Arcam’s electron beam melting (EBM) process, which uses an electron beam to melt powdered metal at high temperatures inside a vacuum.

“With the Arcam Q series-plus we sharpen our offering to our main markets, the implant industry and the aerospace industry,” said Magnus René, CEO of Arcam. “With the introduction of the innovative Arcam xQam technology, Arcam reinforces its commitment being at the technological forefront within industrial additive manufacturing.”

As noted by René, the Arcam Q20plus offers new quality control measures, including Arcam LayerQam and Arcam xQam. LayerQam offers in-situ process monitoring and validation by monitoring each layer of a build, while Arcam xQam uses X-ray monitoring for auto-calibration and beam control. Arcam’s latest offering also comes loaded with updated software which, according to the company, aids the system to improve productivity by 15%.

Technical data for the Arcam Q20plus includes the following:

• build size: 350 x 380 mm
• beam power: 3000 W
• beam diameter" 140 μm
• size: approximately 2300 x 1300 x 2600 mm (W x D x H)

Arcam claims its new system is so efficient it has reached a near 1:1 ratio of materials used to final part weight. Reducing waste to almost nothing offers obvious savings for an industry that is built on expensive materials. An increased ability to build parts from lighter, but expensive materials such as titanium, brings with it a decrease in overall weight, and a corresponding savings in fuel consumption.

Below you’ll find a short video that presents objects built using Arcam’s EBM process.

Source: Arcam