Xerox Elem Additive Installs ElemX 3D Printer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Xerox Elem Additive Solutions has installed a Xerox ElemX 3D metal printer at the Department of Energy’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to advance metal additive manufacturing (AM) technologies.

The ElemX leverages liquid Metal AM that uses aluminum wire and is easily deployed, requiring no special facility modifications for operation, Xerox reports. The ElemX requires minimal post-processing and therefore provides a faster time-to-part, the company adds.

“Developing metal AM technologies that are simpler to install and integrate into existing manufacturing operations will be key to increasing adoption throughout the industry,” says Xerox Elem Additive General Manager and Vice President Tali Rosman. “This installation will enable us to further refine our liquid metal AM technology and achieve our goal of creating more resilient supply chains for our customers.”

“ORNL has a long history of working with industry on alloy deployment and the improvement of material performance in AM,” says Ryan Dehoff, section head for secure and digital manufacturing at ORNL. “This process is promising for high-volume applications such as automotive; leveraging our experience with alloy development will help us expand the available number of alloys and applications.”

According to Dehoff, ORNL applies its science capabilities to solve challenges in AM by improving performance characteristics, optimizing systems and software to achieve mainstream manufacturing, developing qualification frameworks to create born-certified components and developing a comprehensive understanding of process capabilities and limitations through physics-based simulation and advanced characterization.

There are no hazardous metal powders with ElemX and no need for PPE or other considerable safety measures. Engineered to bring simplicity to the supply chain process, ElemX is the ideal option for spares, repairs and low-volume production parts.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.