The companies have agreed to fund Fives Michelin Additive Solutions with €25 million in the first three years, employing 20 and based near Clermont-Ferrand, central France.
For several years, Michelin has been developing expertise in metal additive manufacturing to produce, on an industrial scale, mould parts that are unachievable using traditional means. Fives offers expertise in mechanical engineering, automation, and industrial process control in many markets, including not only metalcutting (through brands Cincinnati, Forest Liné, Giddings & Lewis), but also grinding (Cranfield, Giustina and Landis and the latest, Bryant), aluminium process equipment, automation, steel processing lines and cement processing, among others.
Fives Michelin Additive Solutions aims to offer a manufacturing solution from design and manufacture of machines and complete production lines to related services, including redesign of parts, definition of the manufacturing process, installation, production support and training. The solution will be offered to industries including automotive, aerospace, and medical. The operation should be finalized in the coming months, subject to the approval of the relevant competition authorities.
Fives Group says that metal 3D printing has a strong potential for growth in the years to come, as it combines many advantages: a digital and therefore flexible process, faster production times, simplification of assembly, gains in volume, no raw material losses and almost unlimited customization options.
In June, Fives Cinetic partnered with French startup BeAM, which is industrialising the CLAD (direct laser additive construction) powder deposition process originally developed at the Irepa Laser research centre. Under the agreement, Fives will supply it with 5-axis machines built in its French workshops that integrate the AM technology.
BeAM and Fives will partner on machine sales and maintenance, with the support of Fives’ international commercial and service network. BeAM also works with mechanical engineering firm Avantis Engineering.
