Changing Production

At this year's Hannover Messe, Autodesk shows how the company envisions the future of production.

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Industrial robots with brains

In order to exploit the potential of 3D printing on a large scale, robots and corresponding printing systems must be able to work autonomously and to be aware of what is happening in their environment. So you need the ability to perceive in order to be able to react to unforeseen things of all kinds. So far, according to Autodesk, this has hardly been possible, since corresponding industrial robots are usually “blind”, ie they do not notice what is happening around them. If an industrial robot prints an object, it cannot check whether the printing process is ideal or whether errors are occurring. Newly developed software gives the robots "eyes". This is achieved through the use of scanners and a so-called closed-loop computer vision system, which was developed by Autodesk.

System controls itself

The robots learn to take care of their environment and correct their behavior themselves. An example of this is SHRMP (Supervised Hight-Rate Metal Printing): A six-axis robotic arm can print stainless steel structures with millimeter precision, with the entire print being scanned continuously. This enables the system to control itself, detect errors and calculate the best strategy for the further printing process. For example, if another robot or human gets too close, the robot stops its work and thus prevents a collision.

He also notices in good time, for example, if print layers have not been optimally executed. The technology thus shows how large-scale 3D printing can be used in industrial production. Autodesk will be showing examples of products created in this or a similar way that combine robotics and 3D printing at the trade fair.

Individual spare parts at the push of a button

One of the most important interfaces in global freight traffic is Europe's largest port in Rotterdam. To maintain this position and continue to be at the forefront of progress, Rotterdam is relying on new technologies such as robotics and 3D printing. The Rotterdam Additive Manufacturing Fieldlab (Ramlab) was therefore founded in collaboration with partners such as Autodesk.

The laboratory for additive manufacturing technologies not only deals with research projects, but is also home to a 6-axis robotic arm that is controlled by Autodesk software and uses the additive process to manufacture metal parts up to six meters in size. This enables shipping companies, for example, to produce individual spare parts much faster and more efficiently on demand, and to repair components on-site using a computer.

New repair and manufacturing processes make the ship operational again faster. This results in massive cost savings, and the logistics chain is relieved. An example of this hybrid manufacturing approach is a modern ship propeller. It was printed in 3D and then finished using conventional CNC milling techniques within a few days. It will be exhibited at the Hanover Fair together with other parts of the ship manufactured in Rotterdam.

Content of the article:

• Page 1: Production in Change
• Page 2: 3D printing of a steel bridge
• Page 3: The sports car that optimizes itself

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