Metal Printer - Minimum Requirements.pdf

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

FOR

METAL 3D PRINTING SYSTEM

GENERAL

The Air Force Institute of Technology currently operates two metal 3D printers. AFIT would like to replace one of its 3D printers with a new 3D printer with the latest technologies in metal 3D printing to stay on the cutting edge of the research field. The proposed requirements will bring new capabilities to AFIT’s 3D printing research and allow AFIT to manufacture new high temperature structural materials

This specification is for a metal 3D printing system, delivered on a firm fixed price contract.

The metal 3D printing system shall incorporate the following software and hardware capabilities for the proper manufacturing of metal samples.

The metal 3D printing system will be delivered including the following:

1. Build chamber configuration with build volume dimensions no greater than 6 inch x 6 inch x 10 inch.

2. Powder recoater assembly allowing the utilization of hard and/or soft wiper blades.

Assembly shall allow between 1 and 3 blades to be utilized at once.

3. Shield gas system capable of creating an inert atmosphere above the build chamber during operation to minimize oxygen exposure of the printed parts.

4. Build plate must be capable of being continuously heated to 500 degrees Celsius for the duration of 3D printing operation.

5. Dual controllable laser configuration with one at least 500 Watt continuous wave fiber laser and one 1000 Watt continuous wave fiber laser with water chiller system. Both lasers will have a modern scanhead laser scanning system.

6. Machine control computer. The control computer shall run all machine control software packages, give the user full admin rights, and allow the user to install any desired software.

7. Machine control software. The software shall allow the loading of computer-aided design

(CAD) models in standard formats (.stl, .stp, etc.). The software shall allow the user to arrange the models on the build plate, slice the models into layers, assign of user defined laser parameters to each 3D printed part, and execute the build. The software shall allow conditional programming to modify laser processing parameters for each 3D printed part based upon user defined conditions without user interruption of the build.

8. Integrated thermal tomography camera to monitor the build chamber during operation.

The camera shall be controlled by the machine control computer.

9. Integrated trace oxygen analyzer system with 0-1000 ppm capability. The system shall log the readings of the integrated trace oxygen analyzer to the machine control computer.

10. Explosion-proof vacuum system for cleaning/removing metal powders from the build and powder chambers.

TESTING AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

The contractor shall provide in-person installation, calibration and verification of the metal 3D printing system and all associated costs will be included in the contractor’s proposal. The contractor shall provide in-person application review, user training, and user certification and all associated costs will be included in the contractor’s proposal.

SAFETY

N/A

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The contractor shall deliver a complete system no later than 3 months after contract approval.

DELIVERY

The company shall properly ship the system to the Air Force Institute of Technology at WPAFB, OH.

All shipping costs to include insurance will be included in contractor’s proposal. Great care using standard, approved packaging methods shall be taken.

WARRANTY

Free from defects in material and workmanship, under normal and proper use in accordance with manual, for the period of time of at least one (1) year after acceptance.