3D metal printing now TÜV-tested

toolcraft has been manufacturing 3D-printed precision components since 2011. Operations started with a single machine and have now expanded to encompass ten. As a Tier 1 supplier, the company can map the entire process chain on its premises, from design and simulation to manufacture and machine finishing to optical, tactile, and non-destructive testing. The entire process is Nadcap-certified, thus meeting the stringent requirements of the aerospace industry. TÜV SÜD has now added its quality seal.

TÜV SÜD certification

TÜV SÜD started the “Additive Manufacturer” certification program as an independent evaluation procedure designed to ensure the service and product quality of 3D-printed precision component manufacturers. It tests company leadership, customer and order management, and production – from material handling to manufacture and finishing to quality assurance. The certificate verifies conformity to reproducible and transparent additive manufacturing (AM) processes and an AM-appropriate working environment. Best-practice methods in the immediate production environment also lead to continuous improvement in manufacture, machine handling, and occupational safety.

Continuous improvement via certification

“Because they involve professional feedback, certificates prompt continuous improvement measures,” says Christoph Hauck, managing director at toolcraft and the person primarily responsible for AM. For the customer, certificates facilitate the purchasing process, since it is not only product quality, but also reliable transaction processing, that are verified. “They also reduce the effort invested in individual tests,” says Hauck. 

toolcraft works continuously on the improvement of the 3D printing process and of the entire process chain. The new metal laser melting centre also includes a laboratory for analysing material and manufactured samples. The dynamic strengths of various metals are assessed via dynamic fatigue testing. Further investments are planned in the area of build-up welding (DED/LMD) of metals.

Source: MBFZ toolcraft GmbH