Additive manufacturing Additive manufacturing of particularly large components with SAAM

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FIT Production GmbH

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With SAAM, FIT AG has developed a new technology that can revolutionize the production of large-format metal components. Called Submerged Arc Additive Manufacturing (SAAM), the process promises to significantly surpass previous limitations in terms of size, efficiency and material properties.

Until now, large components have hardly been economically feasible with conventional AM technologies—until now. With Submerged Arc Additive Manufacturing, SAAM for short, FIT AG is working on the market launch of another pioneering technology in additive manufacturing. SAAM is characterized by its ability to produce particularly large components, i.e. over 50 kg, in a cost-efficient manner. "Our customers are faced with the challenge of producing ever larger and more complex structures more efficiently. The factors of time and availability are also playing an increasingly important role. With SAAM, we offer a solution that not only saves costs, but also optimizes the quality of the components," says Carl Fruth, CEO of FIT AG, explaining the motivation behind the development and expansion of this additional metal process.

Combines submerged arc welding with state-of-the-art additive manufacturing

But how does SAAM work? Submerged Arc Additive Manufacturing (SAAM) is a new technology that combines the traditional submerged arc welding (SAW) process with state-of-the-art additive manufacturing to efficiently produce large and complex metal components.

SAAM begins with the selection of suitable metal wire, which serves as the starting material. This wire is fed into the process by a controlled feeder. A suitable welding powder protects and optimizes the resulting weld seam during the entire process.

The welding head is supplied by a powerful power source to melt the metal wire. In contrast to the traditional submerged arc process, the energy supply is variably adjusted depending on the position in order to ensure not only the optimum material properties of the weld seam but also a geometrically correct selective structure.

Gallery

Thermal management avoids material distortion and stresses

Based on the analyzed 3D data, the wire is welded layer by layer to form a component. Thermal management is essential during the entire build-up process in order to avoid material distortion and stresses in the component. The even heat distribution leads to optimum material properties and high component quality. The welding powder also protects the weld seam from environmental influences and, in addition to the energy-efficient structure, also enables larger overhangs and complex structures with high precision and minimal material loss.

Robot-assisted control and toolpath generation

A key component of the SAAM process is the proprietary control system, which coordinates the various subsystem controls. The movements of the robot and the generation of the machining paths are optimized using the company's own expertise in order to ensure consistently high quality and repeatability of the production process. This proprietary technology is enhanced by a corresponding monitoring sensor system.

After the welding process, the components are subjected to finishing if necessary in order to achieve the required accuracy and surface quality. The mandatory quality control depends on the intended use of the components and the corresponding verification requirements.