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New from the Fab Labs: Lightweight but Superstrong Parts

 

 
A rapid-manufacturing technique fabricates 3D-lattice structures that can replace solid metals and even encourages bone ingrowth in medical implants. By Leslie Gordon, Senior Editor How often has one of your designs been a trade-off of weight versus strength? Too heavy, and you waste material. Too light, and parts might fail. Hold on to your hat. A new technology fabricates components that are strong and lightweight. Called electron beam melting (EBM), the technique shoots electrons moving at half the speed of light onto powdered metal to melt and weld the material, one layer at a time. As with any other additive method, EBM builds parts that can fill arbitrary volumes. It suits jobs demanding costly materials where machining would leave expensive chips lying on the floor. EBM is also a great way to generate so-called “lattice structures” or arrangements of repeating patterns with engineered stiffnesses. There is often no other practical way to fabricate some of these geometries. Lattices are of interest to aerospace because they provide lightweight yet strong components. And in the medical area, lattices can replace material in implants. The resulting structures cost less as well as help facilitate bone ingrowth. In general, lattice structures can reduce weight, transfer heat, absorb impact, dampen vibration, and be engineered to a specific stiffness. Electron-beam machines (e-machines) have a build envelope around 200 200 180 mm and a build platform usually made from stainless steel. Since the melted parts have a different thermal expansion than stainless steel, they just pop off with no need for cutting or sawing. Titanium and cobalt-chromium alloy work well with EBM and there is a continuously growing list of other materials that work as well. Arcam AB in Molndal, Sweden, which invented the technology, says its versions of the alloys show no remaining layering effects or weld lines from the build process and that material microstructures still feature a normal grain structure. “Lattice structures are actually any porous geometry or what we call nonstochastic foam,” says Denis R.

Products & Services
Projection lamps use a built-in reflector to concentrate light in a particular direction. They are used in applications such as slide projection, microfilm, overhead projection, movies, medical / scientific instruments, airport runways, and others. Search by Specification | Learn more about Projection Lamps
Ion beam guns and electron beam guns produce beams of electrons, ions or other particles for use in chemical and surface analysis, particle physics, resin curing or semiconductor manufacturing. Learn more about Ion Beam Guns and Electron Beam Guns
Biomaterials are biocompatible materials, natural or man-made, that comprise a whole or a part of a living structure or biomedical device that performs, augments, or replaces a natural function Learn more about Biomaterials
Flow cytometers use laser beams to characterize single cells as they pass by at high speed. Learn more about Flow Cytometers
Over-the-side heaters are immersion heaters that hang over the side of a tank of heated material. Search by Specification | Learn more about Over-the-Side Heaters

Product Announcements
ebm-papst Automotive & Drives, Inc. - Custom Industrial Liquid Handling Pumps
ebm-papst Automotive & Drives, Inc. manufactures custom industrial liquid handling pumps to match your specifications. (read more)
Polytec, Inc. - Laser Vibrometry in Hearing Mechanics and Otology
The human ear is one of the most sophisticated sound and vibration amplification sys­tems. State-of-the-art Laser-Doppler vibrometers reveal the vibrational and dynamic characteristics of hearing... (read more)
FARO - Rapid Prototyping with the FARO Laser ScanArm
Synergeering added the Quantum FaroArm with the V3 Laser ScanArm to expand their services to include reverse engineering and better their measurement capabilities. Replacing their previous measurement... (read more)
PPGi - Custom Optical Crystals
PPGi fabricates optical components from crystalline materials for specific applications that are enabled by the properties of the crystal. These properties can include optical transmission, power... (read more)
ebm-papst Inc. - HyBlade® Premium Hybrid Fan
The HyBlade®, engineered by ebm-papst, is a revolutionary concept of axial fans that combines the benefits of two materials into an intelligent package. (read more)
Eriez Magnetics - ERIEZ Metal Separation Module
Eriez Magnetics-Europe has introduced a total metal separation solution that allows plastics and rubber recyclers to purify recycled material and maximize product value. The product, dubbed the Metal... (read more)
Electron Beam Engineering, Inc. - Low Frequency Beam Pulser For EB Welder
Electron Beam Engineering has added a Low Frequency Beam Pulser to its Beamer Series line of EB Welders. The Low Frequency Pulser will modulate the electron beam during welding. By varing the pulse... (read more)
 

Topics of Interest
5.2 CRYSTAL LATTICE CONSTANT The transition from bulk crystals or large particles to nanoparticles is accompanied by a change of the interatomic distances and crystal lattice constants [2 5,12]. The... (Read More)
Chapter E: E Ezy-out E E Symbol for Young's modulus. earing The formation of waviness or scallops (ears) around the top edge of a deep-drawn part caused by differences in the... (Read More)
Micro-mechanical properties of calcium phosphate coatings for titanium prostheses Mineralised tissue, such as bone and teeth, are composed of inorganic and organic components which are in intimate... (Read More)
Mineralised tissue, such as bone and teeth, are composed of inorganic and organic components which are in intimate association with each other. The latter, and particularly proteins, serve not only to... (Read More)