Large AM Machine Prints Range of Materials
Cincinnati Inc. will display its Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) machine, which appeared at IMTS 2014, additively constructing a full-size car in its 6 × 12 × 3-ft. work envelope.
Cincinnati Inc. will display its Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) machine, which appeared at IMTS 2014, additively constructing a full-size car in its 6 × 12 × 3-ft. work envelope. The large-scale additive machine uses the chassis, drives and control of the company’s laser cutting system as the base and extrudes hot thermoplastic to build parts layer by layer. The machine, developed as part of a cooperative R&D agreement between Cincinnati and Oak Ridge National Laboratories, offers its capabilities to a range of industries including automotive, aerospace, marine, furniture and more.
The linear motor drives are capable of reaching accelerations in excess of 2.0 g and head positioning speeds ranging to 12,000 ipm, with positioning accuracy of ±0.001" per axis. The BAAM extruder uses a variety of thermoplastics and fiber-reinforced thermoplastics. Additional materials that have been tested include ABS, PPS, PEKK and Ultem. Carbon fiber and glass fiber reinforcement has improved part strength as well as thermal stability, according to Cincinnati.
