Cost savings DDM far beyond expectations

Customer Case Medical devices: The OEM medical systems manufacturing Market is a very challenging business environment. Melotte delivers since many years high precision assemblies to GE's corperate R&D Department. Miniaturazation & hybrid part geometries are commonly used in this field. As soon as a device gets in contact with human organism the quality parameters are getting more substantial. A few months ago Melotte has been asked to think about optimising different parts in a bloodpump device. Given the operational environment we had to think about reducing the number of different parts in the assembly and to miniaturize the entire system. All these interventions should finally lead to cost savings of at least 35%. Another topic was the centrifugal device optimisation, this device generates important vorticity and the existing assembly of curved channels had a major impact on the product price.

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The picture (left) shows two of the parts that have been re-engineered and produced in aluminum (body) and 1.4404 (centrifuge). We're showing the rough built parts. After RM the parts are put on the high-precision milling center for finishing, the internal channels are pasta polished up to 0.15 Ra.

Economics: Fly to buy ratio reduced from 6/1 to 1.3/1, product cost reduced by almost 23%, assembly cost reduced by 40%. Yearly consumption estimated at 400/year. R&D, re-engineering and prototyping costs (NRC) are depreciated in 18 months.

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Another good example of how RM can be used in costsaving programs and individual part manufacturing (DDM) reduces the impact on Global Warming. 80% saving is raw material & about 65% in energy consumption per assembly!

Melotte's DDM Solutions@Euromould 2008

Melotte@Euromould 2008: Last week the World's largest exhibition on Moulding and advanced metal forming processes took place in Frankfurt (GERMANY). Though Melotte did not have an own dedicated booth stand, we're very delighted about the fact that many leading manufacturers (Hard &Software) showed examples of DDM parts made by Melotte. MTT, one of the leading DDM machine manufacturers even presented a newsletter entirely dedicated to Melotte's Direct Digital Manufacturing Solutions. Do not hesitate to ask for a copy of this exiting story via info@melotte.be or by calling our Support Office Desk: +32 11 53.99.40

We would like to thank all these companies for the free exposure and we look forward to continue working with them. We're very exited about the huge interest showed in our product solutions. During the exhibition we've entered into a cooperation on mass customization of high speed propellers for air jet applications. The first prototypes have shown the advantages of DDM, Time-To-Market went down to days instead of weeks.

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We're very excited about an agreement for the implementation of new STL based modelling Software provided by an innovative RM Software Development Company.

We will analyse the possibilities of this new Software application and we hope to make substantial progress on support structure integration & design optimisation. MPP did confirm his full support on the machine interface optimisation.

Melotte will further analyse & implement advanced surface treatment processes in order to controle the complete value chain. End of this week we will be presenting a case on hybrid partdesign. Please do not hesitate to ask for detailed information.

Quick review Materials Day, Terhulpen Brussels

Materials Day: About 150 industrial decision makers from all over Europe have met at Brussels to talk about innovations in Materials, Applications and Processes. During the plenary session, Melotte's General Manager (picture right) highlighted the importance of low carbon processes and the impact new processes have on the BREW Metrics. BREW stands for Business Resources Efficiency and Waste Management.

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Melotte aims at being a Low Carbon Footprint Company.

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During Melotte's presentation a large project has been explained into detail. Layered Manufacturing and advanced Magnesium Molding Technologies have been combined into a Lightweight Innovative Product Solution. This approach allows the production of very precise magnesium components by using injection molding technologies. The part accuracy (after injection and prior to finishing) is below 0.02 mm. Melotte's project approach results in weight saving up to 50% and generates a positive effect on the component price.

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Do not hesitate to ask for a copy of Melotte's presentation at www.melotte.be or by phone +32 11 53.99.40
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Melotte will further continue to develop Near-To-Net-Shape Manufacturing Technologies.

At the Materials Day it became clear that the interest in NTNM of large industrial groups is getting more substantial and this will certainly speed-up Market Development. Melotte’s process R&D and advanced molding expertise will be of great benefit for all users in the NTNM Market. At the closing session, Alain Hubert, the founder of the Polar Foundation, presented the Zero Emission Research Station in Antarctica. The Princess Elisabeth Station is running completely on renewable energy.

Melotte develops technologies to prevent Global Warming and will further invest in order to save the environment! Economics, Business Processes and Environment, hand in hand!

Do not hesitate to ask for more information at info@Melotte.be

Lightweight device for Leading OEM'er

Market Release: Laser welded tubes are commonly used in the market. A customer active in high-speed air jet applications asked for re-engineering an assembled part into a single part geometry by using Direct Digital Manufacturing in Titanium. Now we are grateful to our customer allowing us to present the case on the weblog.

The original process was highly influenced by the difficulties related to micro welding of thin-walled small tubes using Electron Beam Welding. The wall thickness is 0.2 mm (see picture).Besides the geometrical freedom another challenge was the surface finish of the parts as well as contact wear resistance.

In process the part swivels over an angle of 160° at 1500 sequences/minute. Through forward engineering and FEM analyses we came to an unique geometry. The part weight is about 2 gram and the TCO is reduced by 42%. At present 400 parts are made and since 6 months running in production.

Given the nature of Direct Manufacturing the customer decided to make the contact angle variable. This results in batch productions with freedom to change the part geometry upon the contact material. This part fits perfectly within the basic principles of mass customization

Thx Hildi!

Breaking news

Today we managed to produce Titanium parts with very small internal channels. The channel diameter is 0.4 mm, and combines 3 difficult parts in one unique feature. Next monday we will come with pictures of the finished part and a transparant 3D model. This is perfect news to step into the weekend! This sunday the Melotte running team will be competing at "Dwars door Hasselt"! We cross our fingers! We're confident! Do not hesitate to comment on the different topics! We're happy to see our business growing and we greet our new co-workers in Bangalore (India). Hello to the University of Stavanger, our new customer in medical implants! We welcome Mr. Britsen, Melotte's Technology Interface Manager in the US. We thank our new interested blog readers! Do not hesitate to comment on our postings. We really apreciate the phone calls but insist to put your questions & answers on the blog! This will help all Layered Manufacturing users to move forward! Cheers! Mario

1.4404 (316L) Static Mixer

Market Release: For a customer active in the Polymer Processing & Analysis Industry we’ve produced a Static Mixer out of 1.4404 (316L, Stainless Steel). The original OEM solution is an assembly of three main components; a cylindrical body, a gas sprayer device (two gases) and a freeform Helix. Combining these parts in one unique assembly creates a very innovative Static Mixer device with an enhanced operational window. The cylindrical shape can be replaced by a curved one and fitted into a free form assembly environment. In the outer shell we might add extra thermal and monitoring devices. Static mixers are mainly used in liquid, gas, powder and low liquid emulsion transport. We will now further develop free form mixers and add these to our product portfolio. Free from manufacturing allows us to step out the conventional paradigm by replacing the cylindrical helix by free form and/or rectangular shaped transport Helixes. Clockwise and counterclockwise devices can be merged into one without difficult reshaping. The Helix surface finish requirements are mirror polish, in the coming weeks we will inform you more about our developments in finishing technologies. Feel free to comment on this development!

718, Inconell Oil Drilling Head

Market Release: For a customer active in the Oil & Gas industry we've produced a drilling head out of 718 Inconell super alloy. The part weight is about 3 kg and it took us many hours to have this part melted. After melting the part has been moved to our 5 axis milling machines for finishing. After finishing the part has been DLC coated, lapped and assembled. All other parts are made in a conventional way. The final assembly was send to the customer for testing purposes. A destructive analysis was made on the drilling head. The final outcome is positive, the tests have proved that the melted parts has identical material properties. RM allows us to adapt the drilling head geometry in relation to the drilling principles. The customer agreed to run a new batch with different geometries and to tests these again. The expertise built on this project will be used to further develop the Super Alloys Market, Inconell is widely spread into very demanding environments. We believe that miniaturisation of Inconell parts might become an interesting new business for Melotte's DDM solutions.

Melotte @ Sirris Materials Day

Sirris, the collective centre of the Belgian technological industry organises on 23 October 2008 the 2nd Sirris Materials Day about innovative use of materials as a driver for a technological edge. At the Sirris Materials Day, Melotte’s General Manager Mario Fleurinck will give a presentation on moulding @ Melotte, vertically integrated near-to-net-shape manufacturing solutions. Magnesium moulding fits in perfectly with Melotte's product & process offer. Many of our customers are looking for advanced processes, either to reduce costs (competition with low-wage countries) or to offer something a bit different. During the presentation Mario Fleurinck will focus on a major process re-engineering project based on Magnesium Moulding. The project includes the transformation, reverse engineering and optimisation, of a lost-wax steel part into an advanced magnesium moulding solution. Check out more information on www.materialsday.be/

Micro Polymer Production Device

Today we’ve produced a gas dispersion device in 1.2344 (H13) material, after melting we measured a hardness of 50 Hrc. The rendered image shows internal channels (catalyst dispersion) and an in-part filter. Although we’re very exited about the results we need to further investigate the shrinking coefficient. We believe that the next batch will be closer to the Near-To-Net-Shape. Next Monday the part will be shipped to our customer’s premises and assembled into the high pressure micro Polymer Production Plant. During the next trial the internal channels will be extrude honed in order to improve the flow of the catalyst material. This will allow us to deliver finished devices within 4 working days and the mirror and catalyst position might vary from batch to batch. The material is dense and easy to polish. The micro porosities on the surface are in line with commercially sourced 1.2344 raw material. We’re happy with the result and look forward to the WEEKEND! Cheers! Next week we start production of a free form device made out of Inconell! I’ll report on our finding next week.

Specialist rapporteert

Al geruime tijd ben ik bezig met layered manufacturing. Het is onvoorstelbaar welke mogelijkheden er nu zijn door deze industriële mijlpaal. Met de SLM-technologie is alles mogelijk en het is schitterend hoe mooi en goed de onderdelen uit de machine komen. De onderdelen die ik tot op heden geproduceerd heb gaan van design naar dentale tot zeer complexe industriële onderdelen .

Ik was zeer blij om deze uitdaging aan te gaan en mijn enthousiasme wordt alsmaar groter zeker wanneer ik alle opportuniteiten zie die door direct digital manufacturing mogelijk zijn. Kortom :" The sky is the limit".

Today, I took my first small steps in the world of layered manufacturing. One of the findings that emerge immidiate, are the possibilities for engineers to think out of the box, and give their ideas the edge to stand out and make a difference.

This is what we need in a competitive world.

Key-Note Speeches

In the next few weeks Melotte will present its commercial offer in Direct Digital Manufacturing at (1), The Materialise Innovation Forum (Leuven) , (2) A seminar on Rapid Manufacturing at OCAS (Gent) and (3) the Sirris Materials Days at La Hulpe (Brussels). Key-note Speeches addressed by Mario Fleurinck on behalf of Melotte NV.

Layered Manufacturing, balance between scale and flexibility

"The new industrial revolution will enable people to live where they like and produce what the need locally!"

The picture left shows a number of Titanium parts, built on our SLM machine and finished via Robot enhanced 5-axis milling. The Time-To-Market has been reduced from 8 weeks to 4 days and the internal channels, unique feature in layered manufacturing, enabled us to merge 3 parts into ONE! Feel free to join our Blog! We will focus on Layered Manufacturing in metals!