A specialist in metal additive manufacturing since 1997, Beam-IT’s Carmel AM system investment expands its remit from working exclusively with metal parts to also supplying technical ceramics.
“Our customers have experienced the numerous benefits that AM production brings to metal parts and many of them would love to see that in ceramics too,” explains Beam-IT president Mauro Antolotti. “XJet’s NPJ technology provides a combination of detail, density and design freedom not previously afforded by other methods of ceramics manufacturing.”
Gabriele Rizzi, Beam-IT sales manager, adds: “Beam-IT has thrust itself into working with this emerging technology, as an alternative to traditional casting processes. One of our next joint development programmes with an aerospace customer will be based on this interesting technology.”
NPJ stands apart from other ceramic and metal AM technologies because it uses a liquid dispersion process, providing novel benefits in mechanical and geometric properties, and resulting in better quality parts and greater design freedom, says the company. XJet Carmel systems also bring many operational and safety advantages. Operators are said to require only basic skill sets and minimal training.
With ISO9001 and EN9100 certifications in automotive, medical, aerospace and motorsport, quality forms a big part of the picture at Beam-IT.
“As Italy’s leading AM service bureau, we have partnerships with prominent companies, key universities and research institutions. As such, it’s imperative we produce items of the highest quality. After reviewing parts produced using XJet technology we were extremely impressed with the levels of precision and detail. Near-net-shape was another crucial factor as the more time we can take off post-processing the better the process we have, giving our teams the confidence to go for more complex and sophisticated parts.”
XJet CEO Hanan Gothait says: “We’re delighted to be working with a company of Beam-IT’s heritage. Its extensive customer base means we can expect to see some very interesting applications over the coming months.”
