Enable Manufacturing
UK-based service provider Enable Manufacturing has brought to market its Additive Casting process which can produce parts in 130 metals.
The company was founded in 2019 with the aim of ‘bridging the gap’ between direct metal 3D printing and traditional metal casting by combining the vast material selection of traditional casting with lower costs and increased design freedom thanks to 3D printing. Through its Additive Casting method, components will be manufactured as they always were, via metal casting, but the moulds will have been 3D printed.
Enable has established its service as, although the adoption of metal 3D printing within industry is increasing, the company believes there are still significant limitations with the number of materials available, while the qualification and certification of new metals in fields like automotive can be very time-consuming. However, by using 3D printing to produce moulds, rather than the end-use part, Enable is confident it can overcome that challenge for many customers.
Similar to many other service bureaus, clients are able to upload CAD models to a portal which will quickly calculate the costs involved with manufacturing that part, taking into account complexity, quantity and choice of material, and provide the user a quote. Files will be checked for anomalies and defects before being produced on a binder jet 3D printing system, with quality control and inspection being carried out after unpacking and depowdering. Then, metal will be poured into the cast and, once cooled, the mould is broken away to leave the final part, which will then undergo shot-blasting to improve the surface quality of the part and a final inspection. This process, Enable says, can give customers a reduction in lead time by up to 50%, thanks in part to its wide network of UK foundries which means parts can be manufactured closer to the company’s customers.
With its offer of more than 130 metals, the company is targeting a range of sectors, including the likes of aerospace, heavy industry and maritime. Metals like stainless steel 420 and Hastelloy C276, which are materials not widely available for 3D printing technologies, allow Enable to manufacture parts with higher fatigue strength and with more corrosion resistance, respectively, for companies operating in these industries.
