AMUG CONFERENCE FEATURES RENAISSANCE SERVICES AM PRESENTATION AND COMPETITION

While Chicago’s Cubs and White Sox tune up for the 2024 baseball season in warmer climes, Renaissance System Road Warriors invade the Windy City for a five-day stand at the Additive Manufacturing Users Group Conference in March. The AMUG affair is the early big-league additive manufacturing get-together in the heart of America in 2024.

Taking place at the historic Hilton Chicago Hotel, the AMUG event will run from March 10 thru March 14, 2014. The trade show features additive manufacturers with scouts and agents from government, military, aviation, and other industries. All of them will be looking to bolster their own teams, and to do business with other outfits. Team Renaissance – Rick Pressley and Don Deptowicz — will be exhibiting RSI’s innovations at the conference. The exhibits run from March 10 thru March 12, the first three days of the conference.

There will be presentations, workshops, demonstrations, seminars, meetings, and other get-togethers for the length of the conference, running thru March 14.

Pressley will be making one of these presentations. His presentation “RSI Ceramic AM for Low Cost Turbine Castings,” takes place in the Waldorf room on the third floor of the Hilton from 1330 to 1430, March 13. Those going to AMUG should make it a point to take in Pressley’s insightful and down-to-earth session.

Rick and Don will be available thru the conference to answer questions and provide solutions for those needing quality castings and finished parts.

A jet engine mechanic from the 148th Fighter Wing, Minnesota Air National Guard, works on a F-16 jet engine in 2020, Duluth, Minn. Renaissance Services has provided legacy parts to keep these venerable warbirds flying effectively. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Audra Flanagan)

AMUG has had a conference of some sort each year since 1988, except for 2020. The trade show in recent years has attracted close to 2000 paid visitors each year.

The AMUG convention is not open to the public. Typically, attendees must own commercially-available additive manufacturing machinery. AMUG leaders say this is because they want the conference to provide attendees with in-depth education and training sessions by AM industry experts and OEM representatives.  There is a full slate of such sessions through the entire course of the conference. AMUG people say they want attendees to come away from the event with better knowledge of additive manufacturing and at least some ideas that will be of practical help to them. To that extent, they say, they have chosen to stage the conference at the Hilton Chicago, and expect conference goers to have the run of the great facility for that week.

Another Chicago trade show of note – the Chicago World’s Fair – took place nearby in 1933. Soldier Field is in the right center of the picture. The Hilton Chicago, opened a few years earlier, would be just off the right side of this picture of the fair’s layout on Chicago’s Lake Michigan waterfront. Painting by Harry McEwen Pettit.

Conference organizers say government, military, and defense people make up about an eighth of attendees. Aerospace firms provide a large segment of the show-goers. The confab also draws in people from medical and dental industry manufacturers, automotive companies, “service providers,” consumer products makers, and those who did not list an industry affiliation, AMUG people say. They also note there are some attendees who come from universities and other learning institutes.

The Hilton Chicago has been one of the best-known venues for gatherings of the prominent in the nation for many years. Presidents stay at the Hilton when they come to the City of Big Shoulders. The massive facility overlooks Grant Park along the downtown Chicago waterfront. It is within walking distance of the Field Museum, the Adler Planetarium, and Soldier Field.

AMUG organizers stress their trade show is not just an empty display of wares. The large number of workshops, presentations, demonstrations, and other learning and idea exchanges, they hope, will help participants drive additive manufacturing forward.

While the Cubs and Pale Hose are tuning up for the season, and the Bears’ execs are prepping for the NFL draft nearby, Team Renaissance will be competing too. Renaissance Services has an entry in the Conference’s Technical Competition.

Renaissance Services is entering the 10” Integrally Bladed Rotor (IBR/Blisk). RSI produced it using a 3D-printed ceramic mold and 3D-printed injection dies. This project won the award for most innovative casting in the Defense category at the Investment Casting Institute (ICI) Conference in Pittsburgh in 2023.   This casting was part of the Renaissance ALLTEC Phase II SBIR program, which was produced with the Bescast foundry in Cleveland, Ohio.

Right: Winner at the Fair. Renaissance Services’ Rotor wins at the ICI Conference, 2023.

Renaissance Services hopes to win again. But regardless of outcome, such competitions mean great ideas can come to market. Everyone’s favorite team – the United States — wins in the long run.

Click here to access info about Renaissance Services’ rapid parts casting and reverse engineering solutions.

Click here for a link to Renaissance Services’ blogsite.

For further info about any of Renaissance Services’ products and services, please contact Rick Pressley at (937) 586-7277 or email RSI at [email protected]. Visit the Renaissance Services webpage www.ren-services.com at your convenience.

2024 AMUG CONFERENCE

EDUCATION & TRAINING CONFERENCE

March 10-14, 2024

Hilton Chicago, 720 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

Show Link: https://www.amug.com/attendee-registration/

Booth Number 66

Booth Number 66 is in the upper right quadrant. A red square points it out.

RENAISSANCE SERVICES DELIVERED AT MILITARY ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING CONFERENCE

The Renaissance Services “A Team” showed the colors at the Military Additive Manufacturing Summit & Technology Showcase in Tampa while local sports fans were celebrating the hometown Bucs’ playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Summit & Showcase is the nation’s largest aerospace and defense 3D-printing event. This year, the 8th annual show was a magnet for military, government, aviation, and 3D-printing industry people alike.

Don Deptowicz gets visitors and a friendly side-glance from an attendee at the Military Additive Manufacturing Summit & Technology Showcase.       Credit: Rick Pressley

Renaissance Services’ booth at the Summit & Showcase displayed the company’s latest 3D-printed ceramic tooling and process aids. RSI benefited from a good location and from great exhibits.

And from great parts makers and exhibitors. Director of Programs Rick Pressley and Don Deptowicz, a veteran engineering and manufacturing consultant, represented Renaissance Services at the big-time military additive manufacturing convention. They were able to show off some of RSI’s most complex 3D-printed ceramic mold tooling and finished parts.

Pressley and Deptowicz talked with military, major aviation, and additive manufacturing contemporaries at the confab. In a clinical after-action report, the duo said they had many leads and multiple visits from multiple attendees.

Again, rapid parts delivery was the Renaissance Systems calling card that brought attendees to the RSI booth.

Several attendees talked with Pressley and Deptowicz about making test parts. Others were amazed, they said, about being able to obtain parts that have successfully undergone a rigorous service assessment in accordance with defense agency policy.

“(Military and civilian clients) are always receiving castings for machining. These (parts made with Renaissance Services ceramic additive manufactured mold tooling) “give them parts that have been validated for service usage,” Deptowicz said.

A Boeing E-3 Sentry land-based AWACS aircraft is flying over Alaska with two F-22  Raptor fighter escorts. Renaissance Services reverse-engineered and made gearbox covers for the AWACS aircraft. Credit: US Air Force

At least one major aviation manufacturer, they said, talked with them about rapid casting of newly-designed parts as well as legacy parts. Engineers from another heavy hitter in the aviation field, they said, picked their brains about 3D-printing of ceramic molds for newly designed parts.

Pressley and Deptowicz noted, “Although 3D metal printing is being pushed as a ‘silver bullet,’ industry is realizing that it is very hard to do.”

“A differentiator that was noticed by attendees,” they reported, “was our ability to get parts approved for use in service (TF33-P100) as well as testing of  other parts in a full up functional assembly (F-15 Electrical Chassis, KC-135 AIG).”

“(Our parts) can get through a technical review in 15 minutes.”

Pressley and Deptowicz said there was a great deal of interest from Army, Navy, and Marine officials at the confab. (Air Force people also stopped by to visit and to get info. But the two expect that, as additive manufacturing has been a steady USAF interest.) They said they were happy to assure the military people Renaissance Services’ approach to parts making for the aviation industry would work for them, too, in their desires to have parts made for marine vessels, ground vehicles, and weapons systems.

Deptowicz and Pressley said the military attendees paid a lot of attention to what they had to say. They said the military attendees spent considerable time checking out the Renaissance Services exhibit and asking solid questions.

US Marine Corps landing craft.  Credit: US Marine Corps

U.S. Marine Corp officials could have established a beachhead at the Renaissance Services booth, they were there that often and doing serious recon.

But they weren’t alone, Pressley and Deptowicz said. They noted Army officials queried them about making parts for the M1 Abrams main battle tank, which has been in service in various iterations since 1980.

The XM1202 Mounted Combat System was supposed to put the older Abrams tanks out to pasture, or to other armies’ inventories, or to scrapyards. But the US government cancelled the change. The US Army is still using the M1 Abrams tanks and has committed to upgrading them with improved optics, armor, and firepower.

Pershing tanks being loaded onto flatcars, Chrysler Tank Plant, Detroit Arsenal, Warren Michigan. Credit: US Army and Chrysler.  The workers built 6656 tanks in 1944. Of these, 3584 were the new Pershing models. Chrysler also sent a rebate check back to the government for $10,926,000 due to the decreased costs associated with higher production! Source: “Chrysler helps build the arsenal of democracy: M3, Sherman, and Pershing Tanks” by Chrysler buff and author Curtis Redgap, 2006

Soldiers and Marines use shoulder-fired Javelin antitank missiles. There were inquiries about making parts for these missiles.

Deptowicz added there were inquiries from Navy procurement officials about making legacy parts for ships. He said it irked him that multimillion dollar submarines had to be drydocked for lack of relatively inexpensive replacement parts. And, based on the professional interest of the Navy people, it is likely it irks them too.

He said there were also inquiries about corrosion control and surface treatments for metal parts.

The Renaissance “A Team,” without dropping names, were happy to field questions, meet quietly, and/or get leads from representatives of the Air Force, Army, Navy, DLA, and OSD. They were also happy to talk turkey with agents of quite a few manufacturers.

Chicago and North Western Railroad  Proviso Freight Yard, 1944. These freight trains were loaded with war materiel as well as with food and goods for the American people.  This facility was the largest railroad freight yard in the world.   Credit: Jack Delano, US Farm Security Administration.

“It’s not a supply chain, it’s a supply train!” Deptowicz maintains. “Chains break. Trains move things!”

Renaissance Systems stands ready to assist the supply trains of commercial and military customers so they can achieve their goals.

Rick Presley and Don Deptowicz thank all the attendees who stopped by. Renaissance Services will be back in 2025.

Click here to access info about Renaissance Services’ rapid parts casting and reverse engineering solutions.

Click here for a link to Renaissance Services’ blogsite.

For further information about any of Renaissance Services’ products or services, please contact Rick Pressley at (937) 586-7277 or email Renaissance Services at [email protected]

Pressley Presents, and Spots Elvis at Nashville Defense Confab

Renaissance Services people put on a good show in one of the nation’s top venues –the Defense Manufacturing Conference in Nashville — two weeks before Christmas 2023. They brought good news about additive manufacturing and said the Renaissance booth was hopping with convention goers seriously looking for help.

Some AC-130 Spooky gunships are still on active duty. This aircraft, an armed variant of the venerable C-130 transport aircraft, and thousands of other legacy aircraft can use replacement parts that Renaissance Services can reverse-engineer and make quickly.  Credit: USAF

“There was a lot of traffic” at the Renaissance Services booth, Director of Programs Rick Pressley said. “We were inundated with folks at our booth.”

Among those who dropped calling cards or personal info at the booth, Pressley said, were members of the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, agents of NAVAIR and NAVSEA, agents of the Defense Logistics Agency, and many representatives of corporations large and small. He said these people “were folks we had cards from.”

A number of “folks were bringing (us) problems,” Pressley said. He elaborated they were seeking legacy hardware and were happy to find out about Renaissance Services’ products and services.

“They were very interested in our product (and services),” the veteran additive manufacturing engineer recalled. He said they appreciated Renaissance can “take it all the way from reverse engineering to finished product.”

Pressley gave an address at the trade show about rapid production of legacy parts. He said his presentation, “Rapid Production of Legacy Cast Parts Using 3D-Printed Ceramic Molds” was well-received.

Pressley noted roughly 60 people attended his lecture, and there were a number of solid questions from the audience. The Renaissance Services exec also noted there were several attendees who stayed after his presentation to ask him questions in private about additive manufacturing and Renaissance Services’ capabilities.

The veteran AM engineer said Renaissance Services’ presentation also tweaked the unique perspective of another attendee. He said the individual asked him, more or less, “Why are you only doing work for the Air Force? Couldn’t you be helping the Army and the Navy too?”

Nashville Skyline. Credit: U.S. National Park Service

Pressley said he assured the person Renaissance Services is always ready, willing, and able to assist the other branches of the Service, and civilian customers too.

Don Deptowicz, a veteran engineering and manufacturing consultant who also carried the flag for Renaissance Services at the trade show, had a similar take in terms of what attendees were looking for.

Deptowicz, who advises Renaissance Services on advanced programs, said his impressions, in talking with people who came by the Renaissance Services booth and who talked with him at other times during the confab, included these:

  1. Parts availability continues to deteriorate across all industries.
  2. Lack of castings and forgings are resulting in reduced capability in machining and post-treatment facilities.
  3. The entire manufacturing supply train must be treated as an integrated system for maximum efficiency. (A chain holds; a train moves.)
  4. Loss of “tribal knowledge” is not being addressed across the OEMs and customer base.
  5. There does not appear to be a recognizable pre-emptive strategy to contain and correct the industry base today.

An F-15 Eagle fighter pilot and two F-16 Falcon fighter pilots fly their warbirds thru the sky. Both types of fighters have been in the USAF arsenal for decades.

Credit: USAF

Deptowicz noted reps from several large aviation industry manufacturers – including some firms whose people seem to scan trade shows for info from the exhibitors without doing business with them — were willing to identify themselves and talk with him because their companies are also in need of manufacturing and reverse engineering help. Deptowicz said a lot of industries are suffering a “parts apocalypse” and their key people, out of necessity, are starting to search for different answers to their manufacturing problems. He said several agents of these large aviation industry manufacturers made repeat visits to the Renaissance Services booth during the trade show.

But the Christmas/Hanukkah season conference was hardly a gloomy occasion. The Renaissance Services team came to the trade show to provide solutions to the convention goers’ problems. Pressley and Deptowicz did what they could to help the attendees with their legacy parts manufacturing needs.

“Elvis” is in the Building.

Credit: Rick Pressley

And what is a Nashville event without a Music City sighting or two? Pressley noted an Elvis impersonator was in the building and was near the Renaissance Services booth. He apparently wasn’t in the market for short-run legacy parts for his aircraft, so he didn’t appear to be all shook up.

“There was also a Dolly Parton impersonator!” Deptowicz said cheerfully. Pressley confirmed her sighting with a chuckle. If the Dolly double was looking for rapid production of legacy parts, Rick and Don could have told her Renaissance Services’ people would work on her project much more than just 9 to 5.

Click here to access info about Renaissance Services’ rapid parts casting and reverse engineering solutions.

For further information about any of Renaissance Services’ products or services, please contact Rick Pressley at (937) 586-7277 or email Renaissance Services at [email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

RENAISSANCE SERVICES BIG AT MILITARY ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SUMMIT

Renaissance Services will take part in the Military Additive Manufacturing Summit & Technology Showcase in Tampa January 16 – 17, 2024. The Summit & Showcase is the nation’s largest aerospace and defense 3D-printing event. It is a magnet for military, government, and 3D-printing industry people alike. Renaissance Services’ booth at the Summit & Showcase will display the company’s latest 3D-printed ceramic tooling and process aids. Renaissance will also feature great 3D-printing pros who can help manufacturers and the military services with reverse engineering and rapid parts casting.

A Sampler of Additive Manufacturing Solutions      Credit: Renaissance Services

Renaissance Services people designed and printed the ceramic tooling that helped deliver crucial parts to the above venerable fighter, bomber, and refueling aircraft. They are ready to assist military and civilian customers who are in need of reverse engineering and/or rapid parts casting.

When the Department of Defense has a need for legacy replacement parts that lack any technical documentation, the Renaissance Services team uses scanning technologies and their engineering expertise to create complete MIL-STD-31000 technical data packages. The Renaissance Services team then uses the ceramic additive manufacturing expertise of their PERFECT-3D division to 3D-print the tooling and process aids to make the cast parts.

In the absence of a drawing package for a part needing low-run manufacturing, the Renaissance Services team can use structured light scanning to dimension an existing part, generate a drawing package, and design and make 3D-printed tooling needed to make castings.

If the Renaissance Services team has access to a drawing package, they will simply convert the existing drawings for use in designing and making the 3D-printed tooling needed to make castings.

Foundries can use Renaissance Services ceramic 3D-printed tooling to cast the parts. Manufacturers can then machine the castings and make them into finished parts.

KC-135 Stratotanker Aircraft refuels F-15 Eagle Fighter in flight. MacDill AFB is home to many of the USAF’s aerial refueling tankers. The Stratotanker went on duty starting in 1957.The Eagle went on duty starting in 1976. These are two of many aircraft whose maintenance can be extended by short-run additive manufacturing. Renaissance Services has provided such services for both makes of aircraft. Credit: US Air Force

The Summit & Showcase takes place at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, not far from MacDill Air Force Base, home to the US Air Force’s 6th Air Refueling Wing, and the Air Force Reserve Command‘s 927th Air Refueling Wing and 63rd Air Refueling Squadron. MacDill AFB is also home to the headquarters of the US Army’s United States Central Command, and its United States Special Operations Command.

Stop by and visit members of the Renaissance Services team at Booth 405 to learn more about Renaissance’s exciting line of products and services. Rick Pressley, Renaissance Services’ Director of Programs, has been in the 3D-printing industry since its infancy. He is looking forward to meeting with attendees and providing solutions to additive manufacturing projects.

For further information about any of Renaissance Services’ products or services, please contact Rick Pressley at (937) 586-7277 or email Renaissance Services at [email protected]

Military Additive Manufacturing Summit & Technology Showcase

January 16-17, 2024

Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Florida

Show Link – https://www.militaryam.com/

Booth Number 405

RENAISSANCE SERVICES AT MILITARY ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SUMMIT

Renaissance Services is excited to be a part of the Military Additive Manufacturing Summit & Technology Showcase in Tampa January 16 – 17, 2024. The Summit & Showcase is the nation’s largest military, aerospace and defense 3D-printing event. The Summit & Showcase provides an opportunity for military, government, and industry professionals to connect, collaborate, and develop methods for building and keeping the weapons and equipment America’s military people need to stay on top the best they can obtain and maintain. Renaissance Services Inc. (RSI) will have an exhibit booth at the Summit & Showcase displaying the company’s latest 3D-printed ceramic tooling and process aids.

Part of the Renaissance Services Additive Manufacturing Approach.   Credit: RSI

When the Department of Defense has a need for legacy replacement parts that lack any technical documentation, the Renaissance Services team uses scanning technologies and their engineering expertise to create complete MIL-STD-31000 technical data packages. The RSI team then uses the ceramic additive manufacturing expertise of their PERFECT-3D division to 3D-print the tooling and process aids to make the cast parts.

The Renaissance Services team’s processes and products have been key to enabling foundries to deliver parts of complex geometries to customers much more quickly.

The RSI team can make short runs of legacy parts readily. They are also great at aiding in manufacturing parts for newer aircraft and other military applications.

Additive manufacturing can deliver high-quality ceramic molds for casting metal parts. Renaissance Services’ PERFECT-3D technicians 3D-print these high-quality ceramic molds and related tools for making castings of parts, instead of 3D-printing the parts directly.

This saves having to qualify an additive-manufactured metal part from scratch. Also, a 3D-printed metal part doesn’t have the strength of a cast metal part. Instead, the 3D-printing makes the molds and tools, which don’t have to have the strength of a metal part to cast them.

Credit: RSI

In the absence of a drawing package for a part needing low-run manufacturing, the Renaissance Services team can use structured light scanning to dimension an existing part, generate a drawing package, and design and make molds and related tools needed to make castings.

If the Renaissance Services team has access to a drawing package, they will simply convert the existing drawings for use in designing and making the molds and related tools needed to make castings.

Foundries can use Renaissance Services ceramic molds and related tools to cast the parts. Manufacturers can then machine the castings, finish them, and install parts in them as needed to make the castings into finished parts.

Public Domain

The Summit & Showcase takes place at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, not far from MacDill Air Force Base, home to the US Air Force’s 6th Air Refueling Wing, and the Air Force Reserve Command’s 927th Air Refueling Wing and 63d Air Refueling Squadron. MacDill AFB is also home to the headquarters of the US Army’s United States Central Command, and its United States Special Operations Command.

Stop by and visit members of the Renaissance Services team at Booth 405 to learn more about our exciting line of products and services. Rick Pressley, RSI’s Director of Operations, has been in the 3D printing industry since its infancy. He is looking forward to meeting with attendees and sharing his knowledge. He is insightful and down-to-earth, a worthwhile and thought-provoking participant in the Military Additive Manufacturing Summit & Technology Showcase.

Get your winter tan with Renaissance Services in sunny Florida!

For further information about any of Renaissance Services’ products or services, please contact Rick Pressley at (937) 586-7277 or email RSI at [email protected]

Military Additive Manufacturing Summit & Technology Showcase
January 16-17, 2024
Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Florida
Show Link – https://www.militaryam.com/
Booth Number 405

Renaissance Services will be Exhibiting and Presenting at the Defense Manufacturing Conference

Renaissance Services Inc., is excited to be a part of the Defense Manufacturing Conference in Nashville, Tennessee on December 11 – 14, 2023. The Defense Manufacturing Conference is the nation’s annual forum for reviewing progress with technologies pertinent to aerospace and defense manufacturing. Renaissance will have an exhibit booth at the conference showing examples of hard-to-get legacy replacement parts that were produced using a combination of reverse engineering and additive manufacturing. In addition, Renaissance will also be presenting more insights about the part replacement process at one of the technical sessions, entitled “Rapid Production of Legacy Cast Parts Using 3D-Printed Ceramic Molds”.

When the Department of Defense has a need for legacy replacement parts that lack any technical documentation, the Renaissance Services team uses scanning technologies and its engineering expertise to create complete MIL-STD-31000 technical data packages. The Renaissance team then uses the ceramic additive manufacturing expertise of its PERFECT-3D division to 3D-print the tooling and process aids to make the cast parts.

While direct metal 3D-printing is very appealing for replacement parts, the additive manufacturing of metal parts requires a very long and costly requalification process. Meanwhile, since the use of 3D-printed ceramic tooling, such as molds for making castings, does not require requalification, 3D-printed tooling avoids this impact on cost and lead time.

PERFECT-3D, a division of Renaissance Services, 3D-prints the tooling to produce castings, which enables foundries to deliver parts with complex geometries to their customers with greatly reduced lead times.

Stop by and visit the Renaissance team at Booth 557 to learn more about the products and capabilities that have produced and delivered multiple legacy parts for the defense industry.
For further information about any of our products, please contact Rick Pressley at (937) 586-7277 or email us at [email protected]

Renaissance Wins Award at Investment Casting Institute (ICI) Conference

The 10” Integrally Bladed Rotor (IBR/Blisk) that Renaissance produced using a 3D-printed ceramic mold and 3D-printed injection dies won the award for most innovative casting in the Defense category at the Investment Casting Institute (ICI) Conference in Pittsburgh.   This casting was part of the Renaissance ALLTEC Phase II SBIR program, which was produced with the Bescast foundry in Cleveland, Ohio.

 

Rick Pressley attended the ICI Conference in Pittsburgh in mid-August to receive the award (see photos below).

 

Renaissance Provides Support to Air Force for Rapid Cast Parts

After they ran out of replacements parts for a complex gearbox housing used on the B-52 and the AWACS, the US Air Force contracted with Renaissance Services, where we provided the reverse engineering, casting design, and prototype parts to Tinker Air Force Base.   This was a process that started with reverse engineering of the old TF33 engine parts and the creation of a complete modern technical data package (TDP).  The TDP was then used to additively manufacture tooling for the production of the casting, which was followed by the machining of the part as well as the fabrication of the subassembly.

Here is the article link to the successful piece in the Tinker Air Force Base news.

https://www.tinker.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3174763/casting-new-methods-of-production-saves-air-force-time-money/

Renaissance presents at the Turbine Engine Technology Symposium (TETS)

Renaissance presented the interim results of an SBIR Phase II contract (Sponsored by AFRL) at the recent TETS 2022 conference held in Dayton, Ohio.  The presentation focused on the use of additively manufactured tooling, such as the ceramic 3D-printing offered by the PERFECT-3D division of Renaissance.  The Renaissance project team showed trial castings of advanced turbine engine parts that were produced using the innovative tooling methods.

There is more information at the TETS web site below

https://www.tets.us/

RAPID Additive Manufacturing 2022 Conference

We’re going to be speaking at RAPID + TCT Conference on Wednesday , May 18th and we would like to personally invite you to join us as we cover the latest in additive manufacturing.

RAPID + TCT is North America’s largest and most influential additive manufacturing event, attending yearly ensures the entire industry is able to collaborate and take this great technology to the next level.

Renaissance Services led a U.S. Air Force-sponsored program for Low-Cost Tooling for Castings with a specific emphasis on parts used in small turbine engines.  The team consisted of foundries and small engine programs with a concentration on castings for rotating and non-rotating components and a variety of materials ranging from nickel-based alloys to steel and aluminum.

The program focused on multiple additive manufacturing (AM) tooling options for the optimal solution to address overall cost, lead time, and tooling life to meet specific engine program needs.  The AM tooling approaches included 3D-printing of ceramic molds, 3D-printing of wax patterns, and 3D-printing of limited-life polymer injection dies.

Each AM tooling approach, using component designs from the OEMs, was produced to determine actual capabilities and performance.  The tooling approaches were then evaluated by Renaissance engineers, the OEMs, and the foundries to determine the viability for each to address specific product development, performance, and production requirements.

This presentation will provide an overview of the AM tooling approaches, as well as results from using the AM tools with the participating OEMs and foundries.