CMT
Since late September 2017, a new additive manufacturing machine has joined the EBM system at the Grenoble site, thanks to the joint investments of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble INP, S.mart, and the G-SCOP laboratory. The CMT cell is the first of its kind in the Alpine university area dedicated to additive manufacturing and equipped with thermal control. It consists of an external 2-axis positioner and a 6-axis Yaskawa DX200 robot, equipped with a Fronius CMT welding torch.
Figure 1: CMT cell
The CMT (Cold Metal Transfer) technology is a specific welding process derived from MIG/MAG arc welding. It allows for the deposition of a weld bead with better thermal control while limiting spatter. This technology, which is revolutionizing the welding world, is also shaking up the additive manufacturing field due to its strong potential for producing parts through successive bead depositions.
The CMT cell is one of the most promising machines for the future of metal additive manufacturing. It uses wire spools, which are less restrictive from a health perspective and more economical than the metal powders used by the majority of metal additive machines. This technology is also far less limited than its competitors by the size of the parts to be produced. All these advantages give it a considerable edge in the market for producing parts for the aeronautical and automotive sectors.
Figure 2: Example of aluminum parts produced with the CMT cell