Certified AM Parts Finished with Intelligent Robotics Engine (CAMPFIRE)

Metal parts are used in everything we need to go about our lives, from power plants to hip implants to rocket engines.

Global events have highlighted how fragile supply chains can be, and there is new enthusiasm for reshoring manufacturing across sectors. The increasing cost of energy, a shortage of skilled labour and a looming environmental crisis are driving industries like space, medical and energy towards greener and more scalable digital manufacturing.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is one such technology, with better resource and energy efficiency than conventional manufacturing and with less manual labour.

Unfortunately, parts come out of printers with poor surface finish and support scaffolding intended to prevent deformation. Manual post-processing is the most prevalent method for removing supports and finishing surfaces, but it is time-consuming, labour-intensive and, most crucially, not accurately repeatable.

Automating metal post-processing and finishing is hard. Rivelin has developed advanced 3D vision and force control algorithms that allow robots to see and feel metal surfaces and adapt to the variability found in AM parts. Rivelin's software also allows users to quickly upload component CAD and generate robot instructions without writing computer code.

This project is about overcoming the technological barriers that remain to be able deploy post-processing robots into some of the most tightly regulated industries; barriers of precision, surface quality and reliability. Rivelin will work with GKN Aerospace, Attenborough Dental and Materials Solutions Siemens Energy to 1) understand what is required to certify a new process in each industry; 2) make targeted improvements to the process based on this knowledge; 3) test the process on metal AM parts by finishing production flight parts, patient implants and gas turbine components; 4) put the finished parts through the relevant certification rigour; and 5) deploy an industry-ready robot at GKN Aerospace facility in Bristol.

Automation has compounding benefits. The deployment of one robot frees up employees' time. Instead of doing mundane and hazardous tasks, these employees can help grow the business. Businesses can then leverage that growth to invest in more robots. If successful, this project will de-risk an essential element of AM not only for businesses in the aerospace, medical and energy sectors ($206B), but also other tightly regulated industries like civil aerospace, defence and automotive ($2,860B). The best way to achieve a step change in UK advanced manufacturing is by proving to UK businesses that a disruptive technology is ready for their production lines.