Oerlikon and Hirtenberger Engineered Surfaces collaborate to accelerate industrialisation of AM parts.
Oerlikon’s additive manufacturing arm, Oerlikon AM, has teamed up with Hirtenberger Engineered Surfaces to further industrialise series production for metal AM and improve surface quality for prototyping.
Announced during Formnext, the strategic alliance focuses on the Hirtisation Process, a post-processing technology that delivers three-dimensional surface treatment, including the removal of support structures and automation of post-processing steps for AM parts, to provide predictable and repeatable results. Building on an existing collaboration, the two companies have created a joint working group to explore how the process can be integrated into the AM value chain. Oerlikon plans to start by delivering the technology to customers with complex parts in turbomachinery, oil and gas, automotive and general industry.
“For Oerlikon AM, the Hirtisation Process addresses one of AM’s major challenges, which is to provide our customers with parts with more complex geometries – some of which are not possible nor economical with existing AM and post-processing technologies,” said Dr. Christian Haecker, Head of Oerlikon AM Industrialization. “The process fits perfectly in our desire to offer customers services and products along the entire value chain. We also see a benefit in increasing repeatability of defined AM surface quality.”
“We provide a crucial step in the process chain of 3D printing of metal parts,” said Dr. Wolfgang Hansal, Managing Director, Hirtenberger Engineered Surfaces. “We see ourselves as an industrial enabler of automated surface finishing. We maintain the full freedom of the printed parts design, while allowing cost efficient post-processing. Closing the interfaces along the production chain from post-processing back to construction, design and printing is key for the establishment of reliable additive manufacturing, from prototyping to large quantity serial production. For these reasons, Oerlikon AM is an important partner.”
The two companies intend to bring this technology jointly to the North American market in 2020.
