Free Form Fabrication
Free Form Fabrication, FFF is the name of the technology
and equipment required to fabricate parts directly from
3-D CAD information. The beauty of FFF is that the free
form is reproduced entirely. In producing a metal object,
completely open ducts, holes and obtuse angles and planes
are reproduced in one swoop. Our vision is to be world
leading as a system supplier of services and products in
the FFF market for metals.
Arcam is a high-tech company which has developed an FFF
technology (Free Form Fabrication) which makes possible
the direct production of solid objects from metal powder,
based on 3D CAD models. The technology shortens considerably
the production time of injection moulding and die-casting
tools, thereby meeting a growing need within the manufacturing
industry to reduce the leadtime from design to finished
product.
The Arcam EBM S12 is developed for Free Form Fabrication (FFF®) of
components in solid titanium and
steel directly from CAD, and offers unique geometrical possibilities for
manufacturing in titanium and steel.
Other materials are also in research at Arcam.
Competition
Other FFF techniques mainly comprise methods for plastic
materials and paper. There are a few companies with techniques
for FFF in metal. These are based on sintering methods that
do not offer the same freedom as regards choice of material
and material properties as Arcam’s solution. Sintering
methods also place demands on certain binding agents in
the metal powder, unlike Arcam’s EBM technique. There
is currently no company on the market with a solution similar
to Arcam’s
FFF – a brief background
For over a decade, it has been possible to produce physical
details directly from a CAD model in a single production
stage – a method called Free Form Fabrication (FFF).
The technique has become an effective industrial tool for
verifying CAD models, building display prototypes and models
for such areas as tooling. Previous techniques have mainly
built details in paper and plastic materials, but FFF in
metal is now possible, providing industry with completely
new opportunities for efficient product development.
The opportunity to ‘output’ CAD files in the
form of physical details (FFF) has had a major impact in
the industrial world. Being able to produce prototypes,
function details and production tools quickly is of great
importance in modern product development. FFF methods enable
dramatically reduced lead times from CAD model to finished
detail.
History – from plastic to metal
American company 3D Systems launched the first commercially
viable FFF method for plastic in 1987. The method is called
stereolithography, and builds up plastic details by directing
a laser beam onto photoreactive liquid plastic, which hardens
when lit. Four years later, Stratasys introduced its FDM
technique, which sprays hardening plastic through a nozzle
– much like a cake-icing bag – to build up solid
details. DTM later launched a laser sintering technique
called SLS (Selective Laser Sintering), which melts plastic
powder together to form details.
In recent years, several FFF methods for metal have appeared
on the market. These include sintering methods where a laser
beam is fired at metallic powder with binding agents. The
powder grains sinter together due to the heat development,
and a solid metal detail is built up.
In 2001, Arcam launched its completely
unique FFF technology. The method uses an electron beam
gun to melt metal powder and build solid details with a
homogeneous material structure. Compared to other FFF methods
for metal, the Arcam process offers greater durability and
more freedom in choice of material – crucial factors
for direct application of the method in e.g. tooling, prototyping
and small batch manufacture.
Areas of application
Industrial applications for FFF in metal are mainly to be
found in tool production and prototyping. Using the latest
technology, molding tools can be directly produced without
the need for interim stages for the plastics industry –
which is strongly dependent on short lead times. In prototyping,
modern methods for FFF in metal can rapidly produce finished
function details. FFF methods for metal are also ideal for
use in manufacturing components with complex geometry in
small batches.
FFF in plastic is also very useful for producing visual
aids in everything from product development and product
presentations to training. Starting from a CAD model, it
is possible to produce realistic models for display and
presentation quickly and at relatively low cost. The models
can be used as bases for discussion and decision in e.g.
concept studies, construction packing and industrial design
studies. Moreover, it is possible to use FFF as the foundation
for building display prototypes for exhibitions, for instance.
In training, FFF details can be a profitable alternative
in the field of medicine, for visualizing geometrically
complex details such as skeleton sections. Another area of use is in the medical technical industry,
where an FFF
method such as Arcam's is an
effective way of manufacturing prosthetic limbs, for example, in materials
such as titanium.
For further information about a genuine guru in the field
of FFF, Terry Wohlers, please visit www.wohlersassociates.com
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