The industry predominantly uses metal additive manufacturing for prototyping or the production of small quantities. Smit Röntgen opens doors for large volume industrial manufacturing of 3D printed pure Tungsten parts.
Medical Imaging component manufacturer Smit Röntgen, a Philips brand, is a leading manufacturer capable of controlled processing pure tungsten via the additive manufacturing technique powder bed laser melting. This additive process is characterized by constructing a three-dimensional product from a digital design, by selectively solidifying thin layers of pure Tungsten, the metal with the highest melting point of 3422 0C.
A decade ago, Smit Röntgen started to research the potential of additive manufacturing pure tungsten products, as a business opportunity. By collaborating with one of the major system builders in the additive manufacturing industry and partnerships with specialists in the field, extensive know-how is jointly developed on every step of the process. “From process development to industrialization, Smit Röntgen is focused on creating added value to the industry by developing and manufacturing parts for medical applications, in particular high precision parts for X-ray collimation targeting the CT/PET/SPECT market. In addition, we also started to design and produce parts for industrial use,” says Harry Kleijnen head of development Smit Röntgen located in Best, The Netherlands.
Smit Röntgen is highly focused on innovation, a heritage of Royal Philips N.V. To further develop the technology, it has invested in production, post-processing and measurement equipment. Key for additive manufacturing process development, is to include verification and validation in-house to ensure short design cycles. This is fundamental for the functionality of the process and an expertise that should not be underestimated. With this new, unique and patented technology, Smit Röntgen is proficient in manufacturing for example highly complex concave or bracing parts out of pure tungsten.
The thought behind additive manufacturing surpasses convential techniques, by creating new customized innovative parts with primary advantages like design freedom, part variation and low set-up costs. Smit Röntgen is now able to perfectly and seamlessly accommodate to individual customer needs and wants. “When talking to major players in medical and non-medical fields, it becomes evident that being able to 3D print pure Tungsten parts does attract global attention. By mastering this technique, the possibilities for creating new innovative products and niche markets are endless,” explains Pieter Nuijts responsible for marketing and sales of Smit Röntgen in Best, The Netherlands.
Are you currently developing a product or have an innovative idea, and would be interested to discuss your ideas with us? Please contact Pieter Nuijts (Pieter.Nuijts@Philips.com) or Harry Kleijnen (Harry.Kleijnen@Philips.com). For more information about Smit Röntgen, please visit our website: www.smitroentgen.com
This story is reprinted from material from Smit Röntgen, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.