Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a recently developed family of production processes, which consists in generating parts in metal alloys layer by layer. Thus, metal AM to be contrasted with “subtractive” processes like machining and with the traditional processes of forging and casting.
Metal AM is also commonly referred to as “metal 3D printing”.
MMB masters what is certainly the most technically and economically mature metal AM process. It is called Powder Bed Fusion with a Laser Beam on Metal (PBF-LB-M) according to ISO/ASTM standards, although it is more commonly know by system developer’s désignations such as Selective Laser Melting (SLM) or Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS).
The MMB team of Metal AM specialists fulfills the following roles :
- Co-design and optimization for AM,
- Process simulation and manufacturing strategy definition,
- Production,
- Management of post-processing steps, e.g, heat treatment, machining and polishing, as well as dimension and metallurgy controls,
- Maintenance and support for qualitifaction endeavorrs with the QSE team.
The MMB metal AM team plays the critical role of technical advice for customers to fully leverage this new technology’s opportunies. MMB’s high capital investments in metal AM go hand-in-hand with T&T efforts, for which cooperation and R&D partnerships help turn research into impactful fundamental or practical innovations.
