AM lab @ the Ångström laboratory

At the Ångström laboratory there are substantial infrastructure for research in additive manufacturing. 3D-printers for all kinds of materials (polymers, ceramics, and metals) are used in different research projects. Some of the equipment is common, available and maintained and handled by the AM@Å initiative; other equipment belongs to individual research groups.

The common AM infrastructure maintained by the AM@Å initiative is available to all research groups at the Faculty of science and technology at Uppsala university. The running cost of the equipment is covered by user fees, with different hourly cost for different instruments. New users will receive training on the instruments from our research engineer, but for smaller projects it will also be possible to engage the research engineer at an hourly basis to do work for a specific project.
If the instrument schedules allow, the lab will also take on external projects.

Presently the equipment is spread out at different labs, but during 2022 a new common AM-lab will be organised in freshly renovated facilities in house 6 of the Ångström laboratory. This lab will house both common equipment maintained by AM@Å, but also co-locate other equipment from different research group. This will create a joint laboratory with suitable and shared infrastructure, but also a creative and synergetic research environment for additive manufacturing.

For more information see below
or contact the resarch engineer in charge of lab: Vitalii Shtender

        Pricing for printing

For characterisation, and further processing of printed materials our researchers use common resources available at the Ångström laboratory:

• µFAB Uppsala and their materials analysis equipment
• The X-ray laboratory
• The furnace lab
• The Ångström workshop

The Aconity MIDI is the most recent procurement at the Ångström AM-lab. Unlike the EOS M100 which is an industrial machine, the Aconity MIDI had been developed with research purposes in mind. This means that some aspects of the PBF-LB process which in the EOS M100 is controlled automatically by background software, is available to the user in the Aconity MIDI. This of course, makes the use of the Aconity MIDI more complex but on the other hand offers the possibility to study the influence of additional parameters. The Aconity MIDI is equipped with 500 W laser and a 3D scanner which allow on the fly alterations of the laser focus. Furthermore, the system is equipped with a heater, allowing the build plate to be heated to 800 degrees C. A dual wavelength pyrometer allow for process monitoring of the melt pool temperature and the vacuum option allow for studies focused on deep welding effects. Lastly, the larger build volume in the Aconity allow for printing of lager components, for example the AM-lab can now print creep specimens according to standard which was not possible in the in the EOS M100 given its smaller build volume.

• Build volume: 170 mm dia. x 200 mm
• Laser Power: 500 W
• Heating: 800 C
• 3D Laser scanner
• Pyrometer monitoring
• Vacuum option

The ExOne X1-Lab binder-jet printer is small machine designed for educational purposes and research and development of processes of new powdered metal and glass materials. The small build volume makes it perfect for investigating new materials as only a small amount of powder is needed for each build. The build volume is 40 x 60 x 35 mm (l x w x h), build speed is ~1minute/layer with a minimum layer thickness of 0.05mm. The printer uses a powder feed piston and a roller to distribute new powder layers. Both water-based and organic binders can be used.