Metal additive manufacturing (AM) service provider Falcontech co., Ltd. has begun an initiative recently to focus more on series production by expanding its manufacturing capacity with what it calls the Super Metal AM Factory strategy. As part of this new strategy, Falcontech will soon be installing 50 metal 3D printing systems from fellow Chinese company Farsoon Technologies, a supplier of industrial metal and polymer laser powder bed fusion systems.
Founded in 2012 near Shanghai, Falcontech provides a broad industrial metal AM portfolio across its three business units: Advanced Manufacturing, Metal AM Solutions, and Metal AM Powders. The company has achieved AS9100 certification for the aerospace industry, to which it provides a range of 3D-printed components, though it also serves the automotive, chemical, medical device, and shipping sectors.
In 2019, the two companies entered into a long-term partnership, and Falcontech, appreciative of Farsoon’s service and AM solutions, made a significant investment into its metal 3D printers. In addition to processing the development of Falcontech’s metal 3D printing powder materials together, the two also collaborated to create a customized, large-format metal 3D printer for aerospace applications. This new metal 3D printer, capable of reaching a build envelope of up to 620 x 620 x 1100 mm, is meant to help Falcontech create large spacecraft components for series production in several ongoing aerospace projects.
Farsoon-Falcontech customized large-format metal system with the expanding manufacturing envelope up to 620 x 620 x 1100 mm
As a result of their ongoing collaboration, Falcontech has installed several Farsoon metal 3D printing systems, including the FS421M, FS301M, FS271M, and the new large-format printer at its facility in order to scale up manufacturing capacity.
“We see an exceptional performance and stability in the Farsoon FS421M metal system via multiple series production jobs since the installation. We are thrilled by the high-quality parts manufactured taking advantage of the benefits from Farsoon AM,” said Yu Hai, the General Manager of the Metal AM Solution unit at Falcontech. “With the increasing demand of manufacturing orders, Falcontech will further expand our production capacity and improve turnaround time for delivery with more Farsoon metal systems.”
Falcontech production floor with Farsoon metal AM systems including the FS421M, FS301M, and FS271M
Farsoon has long been committed to using its “Open for Industry” materials and systems to support the industrial AM sector, which allows it to, as the company stated, “operate with a higher degree of flexibility in parameter setting and material development.” By doing so, the company is able to contribute 20 material processing parameters, including different grades and types of aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, and nickel-based superalloys, specifically for aerospace applications. This was particularly helpful to Falcontech as it worked to set up a processing database for development and quality control of aerospace materials.
As a result of these joint efforts, Falcontech has been able to increase productivity, as well as fabricate aerospace components that feature an improved build surface roughness of Ra6.3 microns, metallurgical quality control, better dimensional accuracy, and thin-walled structures down to 0.5 mm.
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(Source/Images: Farsoon Technologies)