Gilching, November 04, 2020 – The pro-beam Group, one of the world’s leading companies in the electron beam technology segment, will be entering the market for additive manufacturing (AM) after intensive research and development effort. Its subsidiary, pro-beam additive GmbH, is currently developing two 3D printing processes to be used in industrial applications.
pro-beam is developing pioneering concepts at its innovation site in Gilching for the additive manufacturing of metal components based on its proprietary electron beam technology. Operating these concepts uses various processes: wire deposition welding and electron beam melting within a powder bed. These concepts will be incorporated into the existing portfolio and include both contract manufacturing and plant engineering.
Flexible Production Lines for Metal Components
Using additive production processes, pro-beam will enable the flexible manufacturing of metal components of all sizes – from a batch size of 1 up to serial production. The powder bed process is designed for components that have detailed structures, while the use of a wire, especially for large components, offers advantages over conventional production methods. These advantages include, among others, a decrease in production time, higher availability as well as the option of using demanding metals and alloys. In addition, both manufacturing sequences are also material efficient and more economic than regular processes as they result in less waste and by-products.
In future, pro-beam's AM concepts will cover the requirements of the market and various industries in terms of quality, speed, flexibility and reliability. This powder bed process will enable pro-beam customers to enjoy an industrialized production process that is faster than anything else available on the market to date.
The company is also focusing on materials that used to be difficult to process as well as efforts to ensure that the need for post-processing is kept as minimal as possible in order to significantly increase production speed. Along with the over 45 years of expertise of pro-beam as an industrial services provider for metal processing, pro-beam additive GmbH will also be relying on the synergies within the company group as well as past experience and visions of existing customers and partners.
“With the new additive sector, we not only want to set ourselves up more broadly towards the future, but also provide our customers with real added value with regards to the productivity of the AM process,” says Dr. Thorsten Löwer, CTO at pro-beam.
AM for New and Existing Products
Integrating additive manufacturing into an existing production process is possible thanks to the industrialization of the processes involved. This is possible because pro-beam can provide the complete process chain from development over contract manufacturing to plant engineering all from one source. Thanks to the many years of expertise in the electron beam business, the company, as a development partner, understands the ins and outs of efficient production processes. That is why pro-beam is already supporting international research and development institutes with their prototype systems and the company is also interested in collaborations with other development partners from the research field.
“We are convinced that partnerships and an intense exchange with the industry will further drive the progress of additive manufacturing processes, enabling us to better meet the needs of the customer as well as the market,” explains Löwer.
Additive manufacturing will be supplementing the current business segments Welding, Hardening, Micro-drilling and Coating. The company will be offering initial insights into the developments of additive manufacturing at Formnext Connect. You will also have the opportunity to have a personal exchange with pro-beam experts there.
If you are interested in pictures, please contact us at press@pro-beam.com.
About pro-beam
The pro-beam Group is a global leader in the electron beam and laser technology sector. pro-beam provides services and systems for the welding, curing, perforating, and coating of surfaces. In addition, the company has entered the additive manufacturing market and is developing additive manufacturing processes for industrial applications. Customers from over 40 countries have been trusting pro-beam solutions for over 45 years. The global company is represented by five locations and more than 350 employees. The company headquarters is located in Gilching, near Munich. More information about pro-beam is available at: www.pro-beam.com.
Press contact
pro-beam Group
Marlina Schütze
Marketing
Zeppelinstrasse 26
82205 Gilching
Germany
Phone: +49 89 899 233 9082
marlina.schuetze@pro-beam.com
