Meltio has announced a collaboration with One Off Robotics to build a turnkey 8-axis additive manufacturing workcell solution designed for end use metal part production.
Powered by Meltio’s wire-fed laser metal deposition technology, the one metre cubed system can produce large format 3D printed metal parts with a deposition rate of up to 1 kg an hour.
The system allows the user to easily adjust settings and print quickly. Its 8-axis system allows it to tackle complex geometry printing, with the arm configured to work with the Meltio Space robotic slicer, as well as other robotic additive software.
The One Off Robotics Cell is an evolution of Meltio’s standard Engine Robot Integration and is also certified to operate with KUKA and ABB robotic arms. It uses standard welding wire, which helps produce parts that are consistent, spatter-free, and clean.
The robot and positioner are installed on a self-supporting platform inside a custom, laser-safe enclosure, for safe operation and quick installation. The system package includes the robot, W-LMD system, two-axis positioner, Meltio machine vision laser alignment tool, welding camera, and safety enclosure.
Add-ons can include a thermal SWIR camera, multi-material dual wire printing, and hot wire printing for increased speed. Meltio and One Off Robotics say they include system training and instructional materials upon delivery, as they look to make the system as widely applicable as possible.
Meltio Engine product manager, Alejandro Nieto, expresses enthusiasm for this latest innovation, stating the goal is to offer all types of industries the ability to manage the entire manufacturing process using its metal 3D printing technology. “This new hardware system allows the customer to receive a ready-to-use cell for robotic metal 3D printing, removing the integration process and long assembly lead times,” he said.
“One Off Robotics has spent years designing and building large-format robotic additive manufacturing work cells,” added One Off Robotics CEO Nick Johnson. “Our focus is customer success, so we designed this system from the ground up to be quickly installed and easily operated.”
The One Off Robotics Cell is The new system serves as an advanced, yet user-friendly system designed to empower industries across the world to incorporate Meltio’s metal additive manufacturing technology.
