Applications of MELD technology
Build
No melting. No binders. No lasers. No sintering. No pressing. No limits.
MELD is the first process to give you the power to build 3D parts in the solid state. No melting means you can make products that rival or beat parts made with traditional subtractive machining, all in one step.
Application: Jointless Hull – US Army Project
U.S. Army Ground Systems Center, Ingersoll Machine Tool, the Applied Science and Technology Research Organization of America, Siemens and LIFT all worked together using MELD technology and Ingersoll Machine Tool’s Gantry crane system to create the world’s largest metal 3D printer. The Jointless Hull has a print volume of 20 feet, by 30 feet, by 12 feet, which allows for larger metal 3D prints down the road and could eventually build equipment the size of tank hulls with minimal use of traditional manufacturing processes. More information about the Jointless Hull Project can be found here and here.
Repair
Use MELD to repair.
The MELD process is well suited and very capable when it comes to repair operations. MELD repairs can be performed locally where needed to eliminate damage, wear, cracks, pitting, and any other situation where material needs to be added, replaced, or improved.
Cast, wrought, or forged; each of these material conditions can be repaired by the MELD process. Like with other MELD operations, material compatibility for repair operations includes aluminum alloys (even non-fusion weldable alloys!), magnesium, titanium, steel, and nickel-based super alloys, to name a few.
Application: Aluminum 2024 repair in simulated ballistics damage
Damaged Plate
MELDed Plate
Post MELD machining
In 2019, MELD was selected for Phase III of the Army’s Expeditionary Technology Search (xTechSearch). The use of MELD technology for repairs provides the Army with the strategic ability to make repairs and produce components for combat vehicles as close to the battlefield as possible while also improving overall efficiency and lowering costs. More information can also be found here.
Add
Use MELD to add.
MELD can be used to add features, such as attachment points, rib stiffeners, flanges, and features that may not be easily added in a casting or extrusion operation. The ability to add features to a casting or extrusion offers an excellent means to improve the complexity of an extrusion or casting that would otherwise not be possible.
Because of the low-heat input and low resultant residual stresses in the printed geometries, significantly thinner plate material can be utilized in an engineered design with MELD added material in strategic locations necessitated by expected loading conditions. MELD offers a significant opportunity for engineers focused on light weight designs for automotive and aerospace applications in a wide array of materials including aluminum, titanium, and copper.
Application: Adding stringers and stiffeners to thin plate
Join
Don’t Weld, MELD.
MELD offers a unique solution for joining a wide range of metals. Thanks to the solid-state nature of the MELD process, both thick and thin materials can be joined with little to no distortion, such as plates, bar, tubular members, etc. Unlike fusion welding, which inherently presents multiple safety concerns like molten metal, bright light, fumes, and electricity, MELD for joining is safer and due to its significantly lower power requirements, is a green technology.
MELD is capable of creating traditional joint geometries like butt, lap, and spot, but is also able to create joints in ways that are unique to the MELD process.
Coat
Use MELD to coat.
There are a lot of options for applying metal coatings onto metal parts. Almost all of them involve melting metal so that it can be sprayed. MELD can apply coatings without melting them to get all the benefits of solid state processing, including bigger and better components that are manufactured faster and with materials of your choice.
MELD is an excellent choice for coatings because it creates a metallurgical bond between the coating and the part. The bond is so powerful, it can’t be broken even under extreme stress.
Interested in learning more? Contact us below to meet with our sales team!