Metal additive manufacturing to gain ground in die and mould

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ETMM: When will shops accept the method?

Niavas: High quality parts and success stories can convince people that this method really works for tooling, that it is not creating a risk for tool makers, but that it can instead help to create a success story. The challenge, as always, is that when it works, people don’t want to talk about it. We need to be patient. It takes time to roll out a new technology.

ETMM: What kind of market penetration do you have in this sector?

Niavas: We are growing our business each year. Today, only a small number of the moulds built use this technology.

ETMM: Will additive technology eventually be used for the cavity?

Niavas: There are some benefits, but there are some challenges, too. The volume of material to be processed is higher, you need a bigger industrial 3D printer and more time to manufacture the part. This will come, but we still need improvements in hardware and the process side.

ETMM: EOS has worked with metal additive technology since 1999. Do you have an edge over other companies currently planning to enter the market?

Niavas: Yes. The big difference on the metal side comes from mastering all the involved process parameters. You cannot reinvent yourself as a metal process specialist in a short period of time.

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Metal additive manufacturing to gain ground in die and mould