Additive Manufacturing has transformed the manufacturing industry over the past few years. The advances in technology and changing customer needs are further fueling the use of additive manufacturing methods. If implemented properly, additive manufacturing can significantly reduce material waste, reduce the number of production steps, inventory being held, and reduce the amount of distinct parts needed for an assembly. Thus, manufacturers of every size are looking at additive manufacturing as a complement to existing and traditional manufacturing methods. Presently, several companies are leveraging additive manufacturing for their machines and products.
Established in 1948, DMG MORI Company Limited is one of the leading companies providing its customers with turning and milling machines, the Advanced Technologies ULTRASONIC, LASERTEC as well as automation and digitization solutions for automotive, aerospace, die and mold, as well as medical industries. Furthermore, the company’s portfolio includes four complete process chains for additive processes using the powder nozzle or powder bed technologies. For this, it combines its LASERTEC SLM models and LASERTEC 3D and LASERTEC 3D hybrid series with the machining centers from its broadly diversified machine portfolio and a holistic advisory service.
Unique Product Range
DMG MORI prominently provides two series for additive manufacturing namely LASERTEC 3D, LASERTEC 3D hybrid and LASERTEC SLM. The LASERTEC 3D hybrid series perform additive manufacturing by powder nozzle. The manufacturing with powder nozzle is well-known for its high build rate. The LASERTEC 65 3D hybrid and LASERTEC 4300 3D hybrid machines are well suited for machining of high-volume 3D parts. Furthermore, the quick change between the laser and machining operations allows for the direct machining of segments that can no longer be reached on the finished parts.
Furthermore, the LASERTEC SLM series completes the additive manufacturing portfolio of DMG MORI. This series offers additive manufacturing with a powder nozzle and powder bed from a single supplier. The series stands for highest process autonomy, maximum work safety, and intuitive operation for top component quality and reproducible results.
Apart from these, the company is presently pursuing three major launches. Firstly, it is launching the LASERTEC 30 DUAL SLM equipped with two powerful 600 W lasers (optionally dual 1kW lasers) from its factory in Bielefeld, Germany, which will nearly double the productivity of its previous products. Secondly, DMG MORI is launching the LASERTEC 125 3D hybrid from its factory in Pfronten. It addresses the pent-up demand for maintenance, repair and manufacturing of large components. Lastly, the company is shipping the new LASERTEC 6600 3D hybrid from its factory in Iga, Japan, to take large envelop builds to a new threshold with a cylindrical envelope 6 meters long.
One-step ahead of the Competitors
Our goal is that the additive manufacturing products provided by DMG MORI are unique and are one-step ahead of its competitors. These products offered by the company are conceived to be as robust and reliable as its legacy products, i.e. the lathes and mills, and meet the customer demands. Moreover, melt-pool monitoring is done to assure the quality of every build. Furthermore, application-specific build parameters can be prepared for virtually any weldable metal alloy, and customer’s perceived risk in the adoption of the new technology can be managed through turn-keys.
Additionally, DMG Mori’s SLM machines have large build chambers, higher power lasers, superior gas flow and filtration. With the new DUAL concept, permanent filter system, active cooling of the build area and the rePLUG module DMG MORI has managed to maximize the productivity. The same applies to its OPTOMET software. Functions such as OPTOMET Max. Power for optimized exposure strategies and enhanced utilization of machine performance. Moreover, the company’s hybrid portfolio has provided a single-source solution, consisting of machine, software solutions and applications know-how which is completely process-reliable. The basis of this is a series-produced machine for 5-axis and turn-mill machining, which is already well established on the market.
Enthusiastic and Futuristic Leader
Gregory Hyatt, the Senior Vice President and CTO of DMG MORI Advanced Solutions Inc., has contributed immensely towards the company’s success. He, along with Dr. Mori established ASI as a small entrepreneurial company to leverage the enormous resources of DMG MORI. ASI was created as a separate entity in April 2014. Its primary role was to develop disruptive technologies and to protect the company from any external disruptions. This role has expanded to include sales and support of the innovative technologies it pursued and continue to pursue with its factories in Germany and Japan. ASI and DMG MORI are sister companies.
As a CTO of DMG MORI Advanced Solutions Inc., Gregory understands the customer’s business models and objectives to envision the technology, which must be developed to meet their most challenging plans. Furthermore, he works with its factories to develop, manufacture, sell, and support the resulting solutions. He aims to internally generate the revenue and profit, to support and develop the staff, and fund subsequent waves of development.
Creative Customer Base and Animated Staff
For DMG MORI, the customers are the biggest source of motivation. The company has a knowledgeable and creative customer base. At least half of the company’s developments are initiated by the customers or are conceived by its team to address specific customer needs. Furthermore, the transition to virtual working was a challenge for companies amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, DMG MORI Advanced Solutions Inc. young and animated staff has effortlessly made the transition and is making use of the software tools to work effectively from home. Moreover, to maintain personal contact, the company holds virtual happy-hours every Friday and has even held virtual birthday parties.
Emphasizing on Customer Support
The order intake of DMG MORI Advanced Solutions Inc. for AM products is exceeding all prior years despite of the pandemic and it has suffered no layoffs or workforce reductions. The main reason behind this hike is that AM purchases are strategic rather than tactical. The purchase of commodity machines for factory capacity usually drops during an economic downturn, however, many customers use the downturn to divert focus from capacity to technology and to prepare for the inevitable economic recovery. AM is frequently a critical element of their strategic preparation for the recovery.
DMG MORI emphasizes on supporting its customers regardless of how long the pandemic protection measures remain in place. When asked about the remote working atmosphere, Gregory asserted, “As much I enjoyed visiting customers and my global colleagues in person, I find that remote meetings can be quite effective. Likewise, tools for remote training to our customers are maturing and customers have been happy with the results.”
Additive Manufacturing in Future
Gregory looks optimistically into the future with additive manufacturing. On the one hand DMG MORI underpins its expertise in this field in DMG MORI Additive Manufacturing Excellence Centers spread around the world in Bielefeld, Pfronten, Tokyo, Shanghai and Chicago. The responsible experts there are involved in customer projects very early on in the development phase, so they can gain knowledge that they then incorporate in the construction of the machines and components. Gregory further adds, “As AM moves from the exotic applications to the more mundane the demand increases dramatically. Additive manufacturing complements traditional production methods and will continue to grow exponentially for the foreseeable future
Read full magazine : Mirror Review’s Top 3D Printing Companies 2020
