Meltio, a pioneer in wire-laser metal deposition additive manufacturing technology (Directed Energy Deposition, DED), has introduced the Meltio Robot Cell, a turnkey metal 3D printing solution designed to improve the performance of an industrial robotic arm in a safer, more reliable, and highly accurate manner by controlling the entire process, including its recently launched slicing software Meltio Space.
The Spanish multinational has today introduced a new hardware innovation: the Meltio Robot Cell, as part of its vision as a patented DED 3D printing technology developer and manufacturer to accompany and be the reliable solution for industries around the world to adopt Meltio’s wire-laser metal 3D printing solutions that reduce costs and improve manufacturing processes. This new system enables standard metal 3D printing in a factory starting from a build plate, as well as part repair or feature addition.
Meltio Robot Cell – A robotic arm solution for Metal 3D Printed Parts
Meltio Robot Cell is compatible with the open hardware platform, which allows Meltio to integrate metal 3D heads into any brand of robotic arm, but in this case, in order to propose a faster and better user experience, the Meltio Robot Cell is proposing standardisation.
The volume and work area defined in the Meltio Robot Cell workspace meet all manufacturing needs by taking full advantage of Meltio’s metal 3D printhead and being able to manufacture parts in an industrial environment autonomously thanks to its monitoring and safety features. Together with the Meltio Engine, Meltio Space, and accessories, the robot and positioner are installed on a self-supporting platform and laser safe enclosure.
The Robot Cell fulfils the majority of the applications that industry and integrators require when printing industrial metal parts, which is why this standardisation matches with the ability to build custom integrations with the help of Meltio partners.
It is a plug-and-play system that uses a single electrical power supply and a single inert gas supply. The environmental conditions are standard, and this cell cannot be outdoors or exposed to sunlight and dust; it must be in a controlled environment. This solution provides the customer with a product that is ready to use for robotic metal 3D printing. It is an evolution of the Meltio Engine Robot Integration as a base production model to enable industries to incorporate 3D printed parts manufacturing with the Meltio head integrated into a robot into their production systems. It is aimed at all industries and is certified and tested to operate with an ABB robotic arm as standard configuration.
“Meltio’s main commitment with the launch of Meltio Robot Cell is to offer all types of industries the ability to manage the entire manufacturing process using our metal 3D printing technology consisting of a Meltio head integrated in a robotic arm and in a safe environment, in order to just produce parts.
– Alejandro Nieto, Meltio Engine Product Manager, Meltio
Nieto continued “This new hardware system allows the customer to receive a ready to use cell for robotic metal 3D printing, removing the integration process and long assembly lead times. The Meltio Robot Cell has a specific area for every supply the cell requires on a daily basis, only connecting to the inert gas and electric supply is enough to start manufacturing.”
Meltio Robot Cell also provides the industrial customer with a working protocol. Relative to existing offerings in the market today, the Meltio Robot Cell is very competitively priced and its price is below US $300,000 ex works. The cost of the solution is also competitive when compared with thermoplastic and concrete 3D printing systems as seen in other sectors that demand 3D printing for structural parts. This cell has the possibility to be delivered with other robot brands on the market to be more responsive to customers in terms of availability and technical capability. Meltio Robot Cell is compatible with the open hardware platform that allows Meltio to integrate our metal 3D printing head on any brand of robotic arms.
Meltio emphasizes how it can increase the productivity of its clients and augment their manufacturing capabilities, for this is offering the Meltio Robot Cell with a lead time no longer than 4 to 6 weeks in 2023.
Meltio will also soon be launching a series of accessories for the printer including an Inert bubble to ensure best results when printing with high oxidizing materials like Titanium and related alloys.
