Renishaw to highlight additive manufacturing system upgrade at TCT 2014

Renishaw, the UK’s only manufacturer of a metal based additive manufacturing (metal 3D printing) machine will be exhibiting at TCT 2014 from 30 September – 2 October. On show at stand F22 will be a range of products, including the new PlusPac upgrade for its AM250 additive manufacturing machine, a range of vacuum casting systems, and the Equator versatile gauge for comparative measurement of a range of manufactured components.

The AM250, Renishaw’s first additive manufacturing machine is now available with PlusPac – an add-on kit which transforms the machine to meet the demand for cleaner process environments, improved surface finish and precision. PlusPac includes new Optical Control Software (OCS), a gas knife lens window protection system, and a high capacity filtration system. These updates give the user tighter control over the build process, enabling users to create even better components.

Visitors to stand F22 will also be able to see Renishaw’s vacuum casting systems, which enable the manufacture of high quality, colour matched parts in glass filled nylon. Components are gas and water tight, suitable for crash testing, and are chemically resistant; this results in the manufacture of high performance polymer components in nylon PA6 for a range of demanding applications.

For visitors to TCT interested in the measurement and inspection of moulded, ‘printed’, or machined components, Renishaw will also be showing its Equator versatile gauging system for shopfloor inspection. The Equator works on the principle of comparative gauging, but the unique design enables users to swap between parts quickly and easily, without the complications associated with traditional gauging techniques. The Equator enables fast and highly accurate measurement with ‘push-button’ simplicity that could considerably increase user’s productivity.