Tekniker will exhibit a 3D printer more than 3 metres high to manufacture metal structures at the BIEMH

From 3 to 7 June at the international trade fair, the technology centre will be showing a machine with unique features in the production of complex geometry components for highly demanding sectors. Its stand, located in hall E15 in hall 1, will also have a collaborative robotics cell and parts with different coatings and surface treatments

The Tekniker technology centre, a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), will once again take centre stage at the International Machine Tool Biennial (BIEMH), presenting the latest developments in its main R&D areas such as advanced manufacturing, surfaces and materials and ICT for production.

At the new edition, to be held from 3 to 7 June at the BEC in Barakaldo (Bizkaia), the technology centre will focus its presence on a key element: the TITAN machine, a large 3D printer measuring 6100 mm x 3100 mm x 3420 mm, which will be on its stand at the fair and whose function is the manufacture of large metal structures with complex geometries.

The equipment, designed and developed entirely by Tekniker, uses laser technology and, more specifically, the production technique known as DED (Direct Energy Deposition), which consists of the direct deposition of energy in the form of metal wire.

It also has a controlled atmosphere cabin that allows different environmental conditions to be simulated, making it of particular interest to sectors that work in extreme climates such as aeronautics, shipbuilding and space.

“TITAN is an innovative additive manufacturing equipment developed entirely by Tekniker that allows us to develop large parts, with different metal alloys and adapted to extreme conditions. As an example, we will show at the fair a nozzle for space rocket engines that we are manufacturing on the machine simulating the environmental conditions of the planet Mars,” explains Carlos Soriano, Tekniker researcher.

Visitors to the technology centre’s stand will be able to see, alongside the machine, a series of components manufactured with the DED technique by metal wire to see the unique capabilities to produce parts in the shape of a propeller or a sphere.

Collaborative robotics and surfaces

During BIEMH 2024, Tekniker will also showcase a flexible collaborative robotics cell in its exhibition space that will perform a ‘bin picking’ process. The robot will pick completely disordered parts that will be in a loading tray located on one side and, after detecting them, it will place them in an orderly manner and as close together as possible in the output area.

The solution integrates different technologies developed by Tekniker to promote human-robot interaction in a natural way in any production environment. Highlights include the SmartPicking software, which guides the robot to identify the correct parts through 3D vision; and the “Proximity detector” software, which determines the distance to the operators to ensure their safety.

The demonstrator will also include HoloLens augmented reality glasses that will simulate the robot’s working environment and will allow to visualise how it moves and compare the robot physically with its projection on the device, using digital twin technology.

Tekniker’s catalogue of solutions at the BIEMH will be completed by its capabilities in surfaces and materials through different parts also manufactured using the DED technique with metallic wire contribution and which will exhibit different surface finishes on the material. It will also show the development of advanced triboelectric materials with a combination of excellent tribological and mechanical performance and energy generation density.