The winner will receive the award at the METAV 2016 in Düsseldorf
Frankfurt am Main, 16 February 2016. – In the search for a winner, three nominees have been determined for the “International Additive Manufacturing Award 2016“ (IAMA): Additive Industries, Concept Laser and DMG MORI are now vying for the coveted trophy. Presented this year for the second time, the IAMA honours fit-for-purpose innovations and solutions in the field of additive manufacturing. The three finalists have been selected by a jury of ten international experts out of a total of 16 candidates from Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the USA. The lucky winner of the coveted award, will be announced on 24 February 2016 during a ceremony under the aegis of the Inside 3D Printing conference at the METAV in Düsseldorf.
“We are proud to note that the IAMA is being so well received among experts. This year, too, we have been very gratified to see that so many applicants were interested in competing for the IAMA. This is a clear indication that the IAMA is evolving into one of the most relevant awards for innovations in additive manufacturing,” says Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, Executive Director of the VDW.
The IAMA is the result of a partnership between the American Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) and the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association).
“The quality of projects submitted was once again very high, showing that there is innovation happening worldwide in the field of additive manufacturing,” said AMT President Douglas K. Woods. “In particular, companies are developing solutions that are leading to more applications and wider implementation of 3D printing on a continuously growing scale.”
The finalists are from Germany and the Netherlands
The three nominees for the IAMA 2016 are Additive Industries from the Netherlands and the two Germany companies Concept Laser GmbH and Sauer GmbH, a company of the DMG MORI Group. The award ceremony will be a featured event at the METAV – the 19th International Exhibition for Metalworking Technologies, staged at the Congress Center Düsseldorf East on 24 February 2016, and starting at 9:50 a.m.
Additive Industries, Eindhoven
What is called MetalFAB1 developed by Additive Industries is an integrated 3D manufacturing system that, according to the company, produces a ten-fold improvement in the reproducibility, productivity and flexibility involved in additive manufacturing processes. This innovation comprises a robust and thermally optimised machine design, intelligent calibration strategies, a significant reduction in standstill times and fully automated product handling during the additive manufacturing process. Its modularised construction enables allows up to four lasers to be simultaneously configured in four production chambers, while also integrating the relevant thermal treatment. In conjunction with the “Additive World” information platform, this innovation from Additive Industries supports the entire industrial work process involved in additive manufacturing.
Concept Laser GmbH, Lichtenfels
In the shape of what is called QMmeltpool 3D, Concept Laser GmbH has developed the first camera-based real-time monitoring system for additive laser-melting processes. The system acquires emission data, and uses them to continuously determine the laser’s current position during the process, thus enabling three-dimensional models to be generated of the values determined layer by layer. This innovation offers a lot of potential for optimising additive manufacturing processes. Firstly, it reduces the time and costs involved in additional advance testing, and offers new options particularly well suited for sectors with extremely stringent quality requirements, like the aircraft manufacturing and medical technology industries. Furthermore, this innovation from Concept Laser opens up new approaches for process research and component design.
Sauer GmbH, Idar-Oberstein, a company of the DMG MORI Group
DMG-MORI has seamlessly additive manufacturing into a 5-axis milling machine, thus enabling its customers to benefit from entirely new application options and geometries. Thanks to fully automated change-over between the milling and laser deposition welding modes, the hybrid machine tool is able to handle extremely complex components. DMG-MORI also offers a manufacturing solution capable of imaging the entire process chain: this has been implemented as a complement to the Lasertec 65 3D by incorporating a CAD/CAM solution containing hybrid-additive and subtractive operations, a fully integrated materials database, process monitoring with real-time control, and an adaptive control system.
Further information under www.additive-award.com.
Background
International Additive Manufacturing Award (IAMA)
The aim of the IAMA is to actively promote and publicise additive manufacturing on the international stage. For this purpose, the IAMA was specially launched in 2014, as an annual accolade for innovations in the field of 3D printing. The prize is supported by media partners like Gardner Business Media and VDI News, plus Cecimo, the European Association of Machine Tool Industries. The IAMA jury is composed of ten top-ranking representatives from the industrial, research and academic communities, the military, the media, and sectoral organisations. The applications are rated in the following categories: degree of technological innovation, clearly discernible advantages for the industrial sector, the natural environment and society as a whole, cost-efficiency, and industrial-scale feasibility. The IAMA was awarded for the first time in February 2015, to the American firm Hybrid Manufacturing. Besides the IAMA Trophy, the prize-winner receives a money prize amounting to 20,000 US-dollars, plus a media package worth 80,000 US-dollars for marketing its prize-winning technology.
Further information under: www.additive-award.com.
The German Machine Tool Builders’ Association (VDW), headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, has been representing the interests of the German machine tool industry for 125 years. Together with the German Engineering Federation’s Machine Tools and Production Systems Association, it numbers about 300 voluntary member companies, which represent approximately 90 per cent of the sector’s entire turnover. The VDW does much more than simply represent the industry's interests to the public, the government, the academic community and business associates. Based on its in-depth knowledge of the industry and resulting expertise, it serves primarily as a service provider to its members. It provides information, advice and support on individual issues in numerous fields. The VDW also organizes exhibitions for the international machine tool industry. It has over 90 years of experience in organizing events. It stages the EMO Hannover on behalf of Cecimo, the European Association of Machine Tool Industries, and it also organizes its own event, the METAV International Exhibition for Metalworking Technologies, in Dusseldorf.
Further information under: www.vdw.de
AMT – the Association for Manufacturing Technology, represents and promotes US.-based manufacturing technology and its members — those who design, build, sell, and service the continuously evolving technology that lies at the heart of manufacturing. Founded in 1902 and based in Virginia, the association specializes in providing targeted business assistance, extensive global support, business intelligence systems and analysis. AMT is the voice that communicates the importance of policies and programs that encourage research and innovation, and the development of educational initiatives to create tomorrow’s Smartforce. AMT owns and manages IMTS - The International Manufacturing Technology Show, which is the premier manufacturing technology event in North America.
Further information under: www.AMTonline.org
METAV 2016 in Düsseldorf
The METAV 2016 – the 19th International Exhibition for Metalworking Technologies – will be held in Düsseldorf from 23 to 27 February. It will be showcasing the entire spectrum of production technology. The principal focuses are machine tools, production systems, high-precision tools, automated material flows, computer technology, industrial electronics, and accessories, complemented by the new themes of Moulding, Medical, Additive Manufacturing and Quality, which are now permanently anchored in what are called “areas” with their own nomenclature in the METAV’s exhibition programme. The METAV’s target group for visitors includes all branches of industry that work metal, particularly machinery and plant manufacturers, the automotive industry and its component suppliers, aerospace, the electrical engineering industry, energy and medical technologies, tool and mould-making, plus metalworking and the craft sector.
Further information under: www.metav.de
You will find texts and pictures about the METAV 2016 on the internet under www.metav.de in the Press Service. You can also visit the METAV through our social media channels
http://twitter.com/METAVonline
http://facebook.com/METAV.fanpage
http://www.youtube.com/metaltradefair
https://de.industryarena.com/metav
Further information from
Manuel Löhmann, VDW Press and Public Relations, Tel. +49 69 756081-83, [email protected]
Picture source: VDW
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