On Thursday December 7, the Aix-Marseille IUT and the TechnoValo-Aix technology platform will be organizing a day on additive metal manufacturing (AMF) for local manufacturers. The event will take place on the IUT Aix campus, on the platform's premises, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Metal additive manufacturing enables a part to be produced from very thin layers of metal powder fused by a laser beam, coupled with a digital model of the part to be produced. Unlike machining, where material is removed, the part is produced layer by layer.
On December 7, discussions between IUT lecturers and industrialists will focus on mastering the conditions for AFM success: a controlled manufacturing environment and rigorous post-manufacturing part quality control.
Economical, environmentally-friendly manufacturing
In recent years, plastic additive manufacturing has become more widespread (3D printers), but can only be used on lightly loaded mechanical parts (prototypes, housings, etc.). Metal additive manufacturing, on the other hand, is much less widespread, because to obtain quality parts, it requires a controlled environment and greater technical skill (saturation of the premises with a neutral gas, flow control, etc.). However, metal additive manufacturing can be used to produce complex parts (channels, tubes within tubes) that would be impossible to machine, with identical mechanical properties. What's more, AFM is both economical and environmentally friendly: up to 60 % less material is used, and part lead times are significantly reduced.
Creating technological value
Sophie Lengrand-Jacoulet, Director of the IUT Aix-Marseille: " The IUT aims to be a major player in the processes of innovation and applied research. Thanks to our technology platforms, manufacturers in the Bouches-du-Rhône and PACA regions have access to rare equipment, and can carry out tests and production trials: an essential means of developing the performance of their companies. "
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