Large scale 3d printing
The Baker organization complements Lincoln Electric’s automation portfolio and its new metal additive manufacturing service business. Leveraging Lincoln Electric’s core competencies in automation, software development and metallurgy, the new metal additive business will manufacture large-scale printed metal parts, prototypes and tooling for industrial and aerospace customers. The Baker operation, along with a new Cleveland, Ohio-based additive manufacturing development center, will provide an additive manufacturing platform to help customers improve their lead times, designs and quality in their operations
Commercial Considerations
Reduce Turn-Around Time
Reduce prototype and part lead times from
months to weeks, especially compared to castings / forgings
Expand Design Freedom
Reduce weight and mix multiple materials
Produce Functional Prototypes
Quickly test actual use in real environments
Reduce Inventory Costs
Print on demand and eliminate supply chain bottlenecks
Part Consolidation
Drive down the number of parts to assemble
Reduce Manufacturing Operations
Fewer operations, fewer handoffs
Reduce Material Waste
Use less material compared to subtractive processes
Physical Considerations
Materials
Address low alloy steels, stainless steel and nickel alloys while maintaining necessary material properties
Size
Open new possibilities – Large format metal additive parts are measured in feet or meters, not mere inches
Complexity
Tackle part geometries too complex for traditional casting or machining
Projects
Optimal projects for large format metal additive include complex and sizable tooling, replacement parts, low volume production parts and functional prototypes.