AddUp introduces the FormUp® 350 Evolution for printing parts up to 1 meter tall

The aerospace, space, defence, and energy industries need the ability to print big metal components. In response to this demand, AddUp has introduced the FormUp® 350 Evolution machine, enabling the highly productive printing of parts up to 1 metre tall.

The FormUp 350 Evolution has been introduced by AddUp, a developer of metal additive manufacturing solutions founded by the French companies Michelin and Fives. This new variant, which is based on the FormUp 350 New Generation machine's architecture, offers a higher manufacturing volume and an architecture designed to cut down on unproductive time.

The FormUp 350 Evolution can print objects up to one metre high because its print volume is 350 x 350 x 1000 mm. Many manufacturers will be able to broaden the L-PBF technology's range of applications thanks to this characteristic. One of the main drawbacks of laser melting machines on the powder bed traditionally is their reduced build volume compared to other metal processes.

It is now possible to print pieces as large as combustion chambers, aeroplane structural components, missile bodies, or even large-capacity heat exchangers in a single operation with the FormUp 350 Evolution and its 185 per cent larger volume. The FormUp 350 New Generation machine's manufacturing enclosure and Z-axis expansion are features of the new Evolution machine. This allows for total compatibility of recipes and parameters to create production-scale parts with the desired properties. The prospect of launching production on an Evolution machine without any development effort is inviting for industrialists already equipped with New Generation machines.

While the FormUp 350 machine inspires the manufacturing enclosure, the Evolution machine features an architecture focused on productivity. AddUp experts have sought to remove all non-productive time in the 3D printing process because creating tall parts often requires lengthy manufacturing times.

The new machine has an extractible build chamber, enabling the created part and its build chamber to be removed immediately after construction. In order to ensure component quality and powder reuse, this maintains the inert atmosphere. As soon as the previous chamber is removed from the machine, the next production can begin when a new platform is installed. This can save several hours between productions by allowing the cooling of the previous build and the vacuuming of the loose powder to be done in the background rather than using up machine time.

The Evolution machine, an "extended" version of the FormUp 350 New Generation, retains all the qualities that have made the FormUp range so popular, particularly in the aerospace, defence, and medical industries. This new machine offers flexibility with a roller or scraper recoating mechanism and numerous lasers, each up to 4,500W, just like the FormUp 350 New Generation. With the use of a 3-axis laser scanner that can reach every spot on the construction plate with extreme precision, the parts' quality is unmatched.

Additionally, all laser and chamber settings are totally adjustable, giving producers the freedom to perfect their products' mechanical properties and surface quality. With the addition of an autonomous powder module and a fume filtration module, the FormUp offers the highest level of safety currently available, protecting users from exposure to dangerous or explosive substances even while employing reactive powders. This guarantees that the powder is never exposed to outside air and that the powder's qualities are preserved during the course of numerous manufacturers.

AddUp aimed to meet the real need of production-level manufacturing by introducing an L-PBF machine with a one-meter extended height - to produce large parts with high complexity and precision. The FormUp 350 Evolution responds to the need to make such applications profitable, propelling the Metal 3D printing industry forward.

Aluminium alloys have one of the best strengths-to-weight ratios of any metal, excellent chemical resistance, and are incredibly light. Because of its resistance to extreme circumstances when combined with silicon and magnesium, it's a popular choice in the aerospace and automotive industries.

One of the most significant advantages of 3D printing in aluminium, or any metal, is that it creates parts with internal channels and features that aren't possible to manufacture any other way.