UK-based Additive Manufacturing Technologies Limited (AMT) has developed a fully automated system to control the complete Additive Manufacturing chain from build to final inspection.

Displayed at AMT’s 3D printed stand at Formnext 2019, the DMS is holistically designed to enable additive manufacturing to reach its cost-effective potential. AMT is now backed by a $5.2 million Series A round of funding, led by DSM Venturing and Foresight.

Post-processing is an often neglected problem in the Additive Manufacturing process chain. According to AMT, it is responsible for up to 60% of the cost of a 3D printed part. Post-processing is often highly manual, slow and inconsistent, ultimately depleting the advantages of using 3D printing.

To overcome this bottleneck the Digital Manufacturing System (DMS ) digitally controls all stages of the workflow, ensuring efficiency through integration and advanced robotic technologies.

• Firstly the DMS is capable of unpacking the AM machine. Utilizing a proprietary fluidized bed and automated sorting, the DMS speeds up this typically slow stage by removing manual intervention.
• For polymer powder-bed AM processes the next stage is a new, dedicated de-powdering, PostPro3DDP system. This is a modular de-powdering and handling system that does not use any blasting media or risk any material contamination. Traditionally this would be a stage that required manual intervention and PPE equipment because of the health risks of the fine powders involved.
• The PostPro3D, PostPro3DColor, and PostPro3DMini are the flagship products of the AMT. When incorporated into the DMS these standalone automated smoothing and coloring machines provide even greater worth.
• At the end of the workflow comes an inline inspection system for quality assurance and control. Using an advanced machine learning metrology system, developed with the University of Nottingham, AMT has produced the PostPro3DMet.

(Source: Additive Manufacturing Technologies)