Fonon Corporation Set to Release New Bulk-To-Shape Metal 3D Printing Technology

Despite components made using metal 3D printing finding their way into everything from automobiles to power generators, airplanes and even rockets, the process is still far from perfect. While metal 3D printing is quite useful for the manufacturing of parts that have highly complex geometries and other shapes that are un-castable with traditional fabrication technologies, there are many limitations that make it unsuitable for most mass-produced metal parts. Not only is the process itself time consuming, but it is also expensive and any finished parts will usually require a considerable amount of post processing.

With only a few exceptions, metal 3D printing technologies are primarily used for rapid prototyping or single or low-volume part manufacturing because they are not especially effective, reliable, or sustainable when used to fabricate end-use products or the mass production of parts. Metal 3D printer and laser technology developer Fonon Corporation thinks that they will soon be changing that with their Bulk-To-Shape technology that can be used with their 3D Fusion Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and metal 3D printing systems or pre-existing metal additive manufacturing technology.

The company sees Bulk-To-Shape as an umbrella of various 3D printing technologies that can be used to enhance existing manufacturing systems and will offer a transformational approach to using metal additive manufacturing in an industrial setting. The company is offering their expertise and decades of experience to help companies enhance their production lines using state-of-the-art Fonon Corporation technology. The goal is to enable manufacturers to reliably integrate metal 3D printing technology into their full production workflow, and potentially demonstrate a disruptive shift in the industrial manufacturing sector.

Fonon Corporation will offer their Bulk-To-Shape technology as a cost-effective method for the development and customization of application-specific 3D metal printing tools. The technologies available consist of proprietary metal 3D printing processes, the leveraging of the company’s extensive experience and working understanding of the molecular behavior of materials under transitional temperatures and decades of intellectual property based on the development of successful metal laser sintering systems. Fonon Corporation expects their Bulk-To-Shape technology to help industrial manufacturers transform their metal 3D printing systems from prototyping and full production machines.

“Medical, aviation, automotive, and space industry metal printing experts use a measurement system called Manufacturing Readiness Level to classify additive manufacturing machines. While Manufacturing Readiness Level Ten represents machines ready for production, these experts have classified currently-available systems as within a range of Level Four to Level Six. Bulk-To-Shape technology is the quickest path for these industries to achieve Manufacturing Readiness Level Ten,” explained the Vice President of Fonon Corporation Louis Schlegel.

Fonon 3D Fusion metal 3D printer.

As one of the leading developers of industrial-grade 3D Additive and Subtractive laser-based material processing and fabrication technologies, Fonon Corporation have been experts in the industry since the early 1980s. They have a large portfolio of technological innovations that have allowed them to customize 3D laser-based manufacturing equipment based on each individual customer’s needs. Fonon Corporation technology is used by companies all over the world, including industries as diverse as semiconductors, flat panel displays, automotive manufacturing, aerospace manufacturing, industrial development, defense, electronic and medical industries.

The company is now offering to help manufacturers, high tech developers and industrial partners develop their own cutting edge laser-based additive manufacturing technology. Their Bulk-To-Shape technology is available immediately for the development of customer-specific applications and tooling. You can read more about Fonon Corporation on their website, and contact them directly if you would like to partner with them. Discuss your thoughts on this new technology in the Fonon 3D Metal Printing Technology forum over at 3DPB.com.