Rivelin Robotics To Introduce Netshape Robotics For Metal AM Post-Processing
As additive manufacturing (AM) is increasingly adopted as a production technology rather than a prototyping technology, it comes under increased scrutiny from a number of different perspectives. When used as a prototyping technology, ‘good enough’ may suffice when it comes to tolerance attainment, surface finish, or precise geometrical conformity with design intent. However, when used for the production of end-use parts, good enough is not good enough, and AM needs to be seen to be not just accurate but also repeatably reliable and cost-effective as a means of production.
Today, there is a huge focus on the post-processing of AM parts and components. Post processing is not only costly, in some instances contributing upwards of 30% of unit cost per part, but in many instances involves manual intervention which introduces part-to-part quality inconsistency, and which is costly, laborious, and in some instances hazardous.
The search for automated post-processing solutions is on-going and vital for the mass uptake of metal AM across industry, with the focus on the automation of support removal and targeted finishing to meet the standards of mission critical industries, and will introduce an array of complementary post-processing processes moving forward including, but not limited to, polishing, platform removal, and powder removal.
Rivelin Robotics has announced that it will be exhibiting at Formnext in Frankfurt 15-18 November 2022 (Stand B41 in Hall 12). This will be the first major additive manufacturing (AM) event for Rivelin Robotics, and it will see the company introduce its innovative NetShape Robots.
The development and commercial delivery of NetShape Robots is the result of Rivelin Robotics’ commitment to drive the mass uptake of metal AM across industry by focusing on a major challenge — the lack of fast and reliable post processing solutions for metal AM parts and components.
Rivelin Robotics will demonstrate its innovative NetShape Robot which provides an automated solution for metal support removal and targeted finishing to meet the standards of mission critical industries. Driven by the powerful NetShape control software developed by Rivelin Robotics, both machine learning and traditional deterministic control theory are used to optimise the quality and repeatability of support removal and finishing. The result is an automated support removal solution that reduces defects by 90%, exhibits a 10-fold reduction in operational costs, and eliminates human risk and variability.
Robert Bush, CEO at Rivelin Robotics says, “We are delighted to announce that we will be exhibiting at Formnext, the show being the first time that we will present our innovative metal AM post-processing technology. The search for automated post-processing solutions is on-going and vital for the mass uptake of metal AM across industry, and is the reason that Rivelin Robotics exists. As a company we aim to drive the uptake of AM which we see as a major contributor to a sustainable future, and which will have lasting benefits for our environment. With NetShape Robots we introduce our first breakthrough to achieve this goal.”
Rivelin’s NetShape Robots drives a combination of pneumatic and electro-mechanical tools that can remove supports and surface witnesses in a wide range of metallic materials. Rivelin’s Netshape Robots adapt to fixture and part variability using a grinding-specific force control algorithm and a ‘Scan & Plan’ system. Automated calibration enables engineers and technicians to quickly set-up and start production runs using existing levels of knowledge and intuition.
For more information: www.rivelinrobotics.com
