New Way to Adopt Additive Manufacturing Is Recognized

Photo courtesy of Hamuel Reichenbacher.

The past couple of years has seen some major moves and advancements within the world of additive manufacturing, and one of those developments--a hybrid technology solution that offers a new way to adopt additive manufacturing for CNC operators--has just been awarded the first-ever International Additive Manufacturing Award (IAMA).

The jury for the inaugural IAMA selected Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies Ltd., of the United Kingdom and Plano, Texas, as its winning submission. The award will be presented on March 6th at The MFG Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

Hybrid Manufacturing’s hybrid methodology integrates directed energy deposition into a multi-axis CNC machine using a tool changer to change between processes. It can be integrated into any CNC machine to allow for metal deposition (via laser cladding), finishing and inspection of parts on a single machine.

"Hybrid technology is exciting because it offers a new way to adopt additive manufacturing – as an upgrade to a CNC machine tool. Adding tool-changeable deposition heads to an existing CNC machine enables 3D printing of metal, without the need to buy a separate machine,” says Dr. Jason Jones, Co-Founder and CEO of Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies. “This significantly reduces costs and provides an intuitive adoption path for CNC operators. The combination of additive with machining offers new capabilities, including in-process finishing, that cannot be delivered by either technology independently.”

The IAMA is the result of a partnership between AMT-The Association For Manufacturing Technology and VDW-Verein Deutscher Werkzeugmaschinenfabriken (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association). AMT and VDW, with media support from Gardner Business Media and VDI Nachrichten and sponsored by the European Machine Tool Association CECIMO, announced the annual IAMA at IMTS-The International Manufacturing Technology Show 2014.