September 26, 2019
Metal Additive Demonstration Program
The Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) Demonstration Program is managed by CME Canada Makes with funding from NRC-IRAP. The program is designed to help Canadian companies by de-risking initial trials, increase their awareness and understanding to the advantages of metal additive manufacturing (AM) technology. The program focuses on additive manufacturing technologies such as laser powder bed such as Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), Laser Direct Energy Deposition (LDED), electron beam (EB) and other emerging metal AM technologies. Canada Makes works with a group of leading Canadian service providers of metal AM technologies who provide participating companies guidance and advice to the advantages as well as opportunities offered by adopting AM. A primary goal of the program for Canada's industry to learn about the cost savings associated with AM, and how they can take advantage of the main areas where AM excels at; light-weighting of parts, parts consolidation and complexity of design, the sweet-spots for metal AM. The program demonstrates the ability to produce low volume parts for diverse applications; including the repair of high performance/low cost tools, dies and plastic and composite moulds for stamping, forming, trimming high strength alloy steels and much more. Canada Makes assists in assessing the needs of manufacturers and how best it suits their business model. Some have needs like the fabrication of obsolete legacy parts no longer available, AM offers a relatively inexpensive solution. Others are tooling companies looking to improve productivity and gaining a competitive edge by adopting conformal cooling. Be they SMEs or larger corporations, AM is changing how we build things and this program is there to help them learn about the disruptions coming to their sector but also de-risks their initial trials of this exciting technology. The results will create awareness and encourage the adoption of AM technology, thus improving Canada's manufacturing and exporting sectors and our global competitiveness, resulting in new technology skills and increased employment opportunities in Canada. Project Objectives: This feasibility study project has the following specific objectives: Identify and engage NRC-IRAP eligible companies with local ITA's who are interested to undertake a feasibility study of metal additive manufacturing. Preparation of a template task for a description of a standard research of a coupon demonstration unit to demonstrate Laser Additive Manufacturing process to suit their application; Identify the companies' common needs for researching the process in design, manufacturing of selected tools to apply Metal Additive Manufacturing technology for their required specific purposes; Meet selected companies to outline the application design – supply material for test coupons or part – deposition of Laser Additive Manufacturing to demonstrate its microstructure material, hardness and mechanical strength for component and, To increase the confidence and awareness of manufacturing companies in applying Metal Additive Manufacturing for specific tooling. Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will form the majority of the businesses participating in the program. Under the current challenging economic conditions and with strong competition from low-cost countries, SMEs are interested in adapting advanced manufacturing technologies to improve their competitiveness. NRC-IRAP's financial support will enable Canada Makes to work with these SMEs to organize projects and build the momentum in Canada allowing companies to see the advantages of Additive Manufacturing technologies improving the performance of our manufacturers to compete globally. Through the delivery of this program Canada Makes, it became apparent that many of the same questions and concerns were shared by new comers to this technology. Therefore Canada Makes developed two interactive guides, the Metal Additive Process Guide & Metal Additive Design Guide designed to assist businesses new to metal AM wanting to learn about process and designing for metal AM (DfAM). The Guides are easy to use, interactive and offer useful information for the adoption of this technology. Access is free although we request that you register. Thank you and enjoy! http://canadamakes.ca/funding/program-for-metal-additive-technology-demonstration-projects/