On October 17, 2022, Japanese precision equipment manufacturer Sugino Machine Limited launched a hybrid manufacturing system combining CNC machining and laser metal deposition (LMD) 3D printing. By integrating the hybrid manufacturing technology of AMBIT printheads and CNC machining heads, the “XtenDED” model would be able to produce and finish parts with higher throughput and precision. With its compatibility with nickel superalloys, cobalt-based superalloys and stainless steel, the machine can meet demanding aerospace applications where heat resistance is critical.
Sugino’s existing equipment
Originally founded in Japan in 1936, Sugino’s business focuses on manufacturing systems for high-pressure cleaning, deburring, machining, drilling, tapping, polishing and jet cutting. parts water. The company has grown significantly over the past 86 years, opening a division in the United States in 1980, but it continues to strive to help its customers improve manufacturing reliability, flexibility and precision .
Most of Sugino’s current product offerings are aimed at post-processing, including everything from high-pressure cleaning and deburring machines to dry milling systems and polishing tools. Sugino’s product portfolio has long included a range of CNC machining centers and modules. The company’s Xion-II 5AX compact 5-axis precision center is designed for precision machining while maximizing floor space and operating costs up to half those of competitors. Meanwhile, for the H-720, Sugino introduced a horizontal design system, ideal for installation on indexing machines.
△Hybrid deposition head of the SuginoXtenDED 3D printer. Photo by Sugino.
XtenDED Manufacturing Capabilities
At the heart of XtenDED is a dual-head unit that combines an AMBIT laser processing head with the tool magazine of a CNC machine. Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies’ AMBIT head combination is designed to transform the machine into a hybrid production, finishing and inspection tool, making it ideal for Sugino’s dual-function system.
exist On XtenDED, the print head uses a laser to melt the powdered raw material when it hits the surface of the part, and as that material cools, more layers can be added on top. By placing a CNC machining head directly next to this directed energy deposition (DED) technology, the device’s developers say it can post-process parts with greater precision while increasing productivity of the workshop.
because LMD uses less power and is more controllable layer by layer, and Sugino says XtenDED also has a significantly smaller “heat-affected zone (HAZ)” than plasma or line 3D printers. The company added that this makes the manufacturing system “less expensive than machining alone and more efficient and precise than 3D printing alone,” while allowing it to offer users the best of both technologies.
In practice, we say that this The 300 x 400 x 200mm machine accelerates the product design through manufacturing process while solving prototyping applications and enabling repair and resurfacing of metal parts. Sugino also markets XtenDED as a way to combine different alloys to give components corrosion or heat resistance, a process that can be accomplished in minutes.
△The XtenDED hybrid 3D printer from Sugino. Photo by Sugino
Technical specifications and prices
The following is Technical specifications of the Sugino XtenDED 3D printer.
Source: Print Network
Daguang focuses on providing solutions such as precision CNC machining services (3-axis, 4-axis, 5-axis machining), CNC milling, 3D printing and rapid prototyping services.
