Renishaw/Plastometrex
3D printed sample under machine
Renishaw is working with mechanical testing solutions company Plastometrex to incorporate its proprietary PIP (Profilometry-based Indentation Plastometry) technology into its additive manufacturing (AM) testing processes.
The collaboration, which will see Renishaw using Plastometrex’s PLX-Benchtop system, is said to increase the precision and efficiency of mechanical property analysis, and confidence in metal parts 3D printed on Renishaw’s flagship RenAM 500 series.
The PLX-Benchtop is designed to streamline part testing and provide a more detailed picture of mechanical properties and comprehensive stress-strain curves in under five minutes. Plastometrex says testing is largely automated, and does away with the need for tensile coupons, which can take up significant time and costs and are not always reliable representations of a finished additive part.
Benjamin Haigh, Materials Scientist at Renishaw, commented: “We can now use cubes built for product development for additional testing, saving us time and money. Additionally, the PLX-Benchtop can generate mechanical data for a wider range of parameters.”
Jed Robinson-Wall, Materials Science graduate, added: “PIP technology is a fantastic complement to our existing mechanical testing regime. It gives us even greater insight into the quality of parts produced on our RenAM 500 series of metal additive manufacturing systems.”
Per a joint press release, Renishaw’s adoption of Plastometrex’s PIP technology is thought to complement the company’s existing testing procedures. The collaboration seems like a natural fit for a metal 3D printing technology provider with its roots and major product lines firmly established in industrial metrology and precision measurement. This agreement is the latest in a series of partnerships in the AM space for Plastometrex since the launch of its PIP technology, including a strategic collaboration with Italian aerospace firm Leonardo to accelerate the adoption of AM in aerospace, and defence company Babcock in an effort to use AM to overcome defence part obsolescence.
