INDUSTRIAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SERVICES

WHAT IS ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING?

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is the process of joining materials to make parts from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing and formative manufacturing methodologies.

Additive Manufacturing solutions were also referred to as additive fabrication, additive processes, additive techniques, additive layer manufacturing, layer manufacturing, solid freeform fabrication and freeform fabrication.

ADVANTAGES OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SERVICES

• Design Freedom: Modeling software allows to create every shape imaginable. The layer-by-layer manufacturing process makes it possible to create parts with unusual geometry or complex profiles, which are otherwise not possible to realize with conventional manufacturing.

• Reduction of Tooling: AM reduces or even eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming tooling. This results in a faster time-to-market of the product with significant cost savings. It also enables faster and cheaper design changes.

Manufacturing of Assemblies: Using additive manufacturing techniques, an assembly made up of multiple parts can be printed as a single component, resulting in time and cost saving.

• Distributed Manufacturing: Parts can be manufactured on-demand and on/closer-to point of use. Particularly replacement parts for complex large assemblies can be manufactured at distributed sites closer to the user market. This can theoretically eliminate transportation and warehousing costs.

Strength and weight are primary concerns for most engineering applications. AM allows for optimisation of the strength-to-weight ratio.

How is additive manufacturing changing your manufacturing processes and supply chains?

The additive manufacturing sector is growing fast, especially in the field of serial production where stakeholders have high expectations of the technology’s use.  Additive manufacturing enables completely new designs to be produced and supply chains to be significantly reduced. However, there are numerous standards and requirements yet limited best practice guidelines. This means additive manufacturing companies, customers and suppliers in the sector must constantly adapt – which is costly and time-consuming. 

TYPES OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Additive Manufacturing processes are categorized into the following seven types.

• Binder jetting
Additive Manufacturing process in which a liquid bonding agent is selectively deposited to join powder materials.

• Directed Energy Deposition
Additive Manufacturing process in which focused thermal energy is used to fuse materials by melting as they are being deposited.
Focused thermal energy means that an energy source (e.g. laser, electron beam, or plasma arc) is focused to melt the materials being deposited.

• Material Extrusion
Additive Manufacturing process in which material is selectively dispensed through a nozzle or orifice.

• Material Jetting
Additive Manufacturing process in which droplets of build material are selectively deposited.
Example materials include photopolymer and wax.

• Powder Bed Fusion
Additive Manufacturing process in which thermal energy selectively fuses regions of a powder bed.

• Sheet Lamination
Additive Manufacturing process in which sheets of material are bonded to form a part.

• Vat Photopolymerization
Additive Manufacturing process in which liquid photopolymer in a vat is selectively cured by light-activated polymerization.

SUSTAINABILITY AND ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

TÜV SÜD provide a neutral and impartial assessment of carbon footprint, recycled content, quality, and safety of metal powders, as well as other recycled feedstock in Additive Manufacturing. we conducted a full lifecycle analysis study of the recycled materials from sourcing to production to customer delivery as per international standards.

TÜV SÜD’s industrial additive manufacturing solutions help you stay ahead of competition

Whether you are a customer of 3D printing services; supplier or user of 3D printing machinery, materials or software; TÜV SÜD industrial additive manufacturing services help your organisation to navigate the uncertainties around additive manufacturing and unlock the opportunities that the technology presents.

TÜV SÜD’s iAM services help additive manufacturing companies to:

• Improve certainty, reliability and reproducibility throughout the production process
• Achieve the highest levels of quality and consistency of the manufactured product
• Increase profitability through improved process management
• Gain competitive advantage and boosts customers’ trust in your company’s products and services

TÜV SÜD’s Additive Manufacturing services

Hardware & software – We ensure secure data streams, electrical safety of equipment, explosion protection and conduct emission tests.

Feedstock & material properties – Testing and certification of feedstock, material testing and material properties certification.

Production workflow certification – Part-specific workflow certification including design, manufacturing process and regulatory conformity to ensure products are designed for manufacturability and reliably lie within defined specifications.

Product testing, certification and approval – Ensures your processes and products conform with all relevant industry standards while meeting additive manufacturing requirements.

Additive manufacturer production facility certification – Assessment and certification of an industrial additive manufacturing production site; which provides you with a sound basis for serial production.

Training - We offer comprehensive training courses, workshops, and personnel certification for both industry newcomers and specialists.

Health & safety certification of AM production site - Assessment and Certification of additive manufacturing production site (using powder-based technologies). Sites that comply with the Health, Safety & Environmental requirements as defined in PPP10998A:2021 will be eligible for TÜV SÜD certification. 

Next generation additive manufacturing– We conduct evaluations of the security, interconnectivity and degree of automation of existing additive manufacturing systems as well as the implementation of digital monitoring solutions.

Clients worldwide choose TÜV SÜD as their partner for industrial additive manufacturing Solutions

With more than 150 years of experience in providing safety, training, certification and quality solutions, TÜV SÜD is recognised worldwide as a sustainable, reliable, and impartial partner for the manufacturing supply chain. Our expert teams have decades of experience in manufacturing and are on the front line of the additive manufacturing revolution, staying up to date with the latest standards and techniques through our participation in the ISO/ASTM 261 and DIN CEN/TC 438 standardisation committees. This means you have access to the resources to ensure your additive manufacturing strategy is solid, dependable and ready for the future.