AMFREE Press release – September 16, 2024
Industry needs to reinvent its production tools to sustainably reduce its environmental footprint and enable the development of local, virtuous practices such as the repair of high added-value parts, while guaranteeing their competitiveness and profitability.
To speed up this transformation, AMFREE has just launched a new generation of metal 3D printers called ‘AMFREE One’. Distributed as a ready-to-use turnkey package, they have been designed to be integrated into factories alongside conventional processes.
Robust and extremely productive, AMFREE One machines have been designed to produce and repair, simply and quickly, a very wide range of metal parts, up to several meters in size. They can melt up to 1200 cm3/h of metal, i.e. around 8 to 10 kg/h of steel and 3 to 4 kg/h of aluminum.
Aimed at manufacturers (energy, aerospace, defense, industry, rail) and maintenance companies, these hybrids and 4.0 machines (additive manufacturing, machining, inspection) are designed to guarantee the production of high added-value parts, right first time.
We wanted to create easy-to-use machines that are similar in operation to conventional machining equipment. Equipped with the latest-generation SIEMENS numerical control, traditional machining operators can quickly operate these machines, and thus put their expertise to good use in additive manufacturing.
With the AMFREE One machines, we are providing an agile and competitive industrial solution to meet the dual industrial challenges of rapid production of high added-value unit parts and virtuous transformation of uses. An AMFREE machine considerably simplifies the supply chain and the stages in the manufacture of high added-value parts, making them as simple and competitive to produce as mass-produced parts. This agility is being used by a growing number of manufacturers to diversify their activities and conquer new markets, such as repair, while making their own contribution to more efficient use of energy and natural resources.
They also enable manufacturers to become more autonomous regarding post-processing and improve their reactivity while limiting their dependence on third parties. This is the case, for example, with anti-corrosion or anti-wear coatings, which can be applied during the manufacturing process, using the same tools, on the same machine.
Big parts are then less mobile, helping to reduce the quantity of hydrocarbons used to move them. Production becomes more local, in a short circuit, helping to conserve natural resources and energy.
Supply times for raw materials are drastically reduced. AMFREE One machines are capable of producing raw parts close to final dimensions, or adding functions to existing parts. They can melt almost any material available in the form of welding wire (steel, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel alloys, copper alloys, etc.), which considerably reduces the complexity of managing suppliers and purchasing upstream and downstream in the chain.
The number of dedicated manufacturing tools is drastically reduced, as are the storage areas for raw materials and tools. The raw material for AMFREE machines comes in the form of spools of welding wire or drums. What’s more, AMFREE One machines are designed to be hybrid. They enable dimensional inspection of parts, surface preparation, production or repair of simple or complex parts and their inspection to be carried out in one and the same place. This considerably reduces the footprint required to create added value.
Aimed at manufacturers (energy, aerospace, defense, industry, rail) and maintenance companies, these hybrids and 4.0 machines (additive manufacturing, machining, inspection) are designed to guarantee the production of high value-added parts, right first time.
The deeptech AMFREE company was awarded ‘Young Innovative Company’ status in 2024. AMFREE is the 2024 winner of the Innovation Competition and is actively supported by the French government, ADEME, Bpifrance and the Grand Est Region to support and accelerate its international development.
