Robots for 3D printing of complex metal components

Bionic designs, complex structures and small batch sizes - to meet these challenges of modern production in the metal industry, HS Automation has developed a robot solution for 3D metal printing in collaboration with Kuka. The 3D printer welds layers with a minimum wall thickness of 2 mm. Production from solid material is also possible. The finished workpiece requires no or only minimal post-processing. By working together, the system developers achieve minimal material waste and low manufacturing costs with almost unlimited design possibilities.

For conventionally finished parts, the process impresses with reduced costs and four times higher productivity. Laser metal deposition reduces both the amount of material required and the post-processing time compared to milling or turning from a complete metal block. The savings potential here is up to 98 percent of the material. These strengths are particularly useful in toolmaking, special plant construction or in the production of prototypes. The production, testing and optimization of flow-optimized components for wind turbines, for example, are accelerated immensely.

However, the robot system is also capable of producing double-walled objects such as components with internal cooling channels, for example. The print head, which is equipped with six 200-watt lasers, processes two different metal materials in one printed part in addition to printing individual materials. "Almost any material can be processed: Stainless steel, titanium, tool steels, nickel alloys. Our laser partner Meltio is currently working on printing copper. This means that its use for e-mobility projects is also within reach," predicts Marc Steidinger. The Managing Director of HS Automation, who is responsible for the technical management of the project, sees areas of application primarily in the production of spare parts, in the development of series and in medical technology. In prototype construction, users benefit from the completely flexible adjustment of the printing parameters. Artificial titanium knee joints and other medical implants will be individually adapted to the patient in future thanks to 3D metal printing.

The use of innovative software solutions such as Kuka.CNC also makes the technology more attractive for small and medium-sized companies. Thanks to the software, structures designed using a CAD/CAM system can be run directly - without having to be converted into Kuka Robot Language (KRL). With around 20 employees, HS Automation is pursuing the goal of making automation productively usable for other small and medium-sized companies. Rolf Steidinger sees the company as a partner for more efficient, more sustainable SMEs: "We have been supporting some of our customers with automated production for 24 years."