Quintus Hot Isostatic Press Will Advance AM Research At Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center

New facility to develop tools and processes for advanced metals manufacturing and 3D printing

Västerås, Sweden (PRWEB) - Confirming the increasingly important role Hot Isostatic Pressing plays in Additive Manufacturing (AM), a Quintus Technologies Hot Isostatic Press (HIP) will be a flagship piece of equipment when the new additive research facility at the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center Research & Development (OMIC R&D) opens in Scappose, Oregon.

Overseen by Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech), a public polytechnic university, OMIC R&D is a collaborative effort that brings together industry and higher education with government support to conduct applied research and advanced technical training. Its mission is to increase industrial competitiveness by developing new tools and techniques to address today’s manufacturing challenges, particularly in the aerospace and defense, transportation, and metals sectors.

The Quintus QIH 48 M URC® press will allow new research into 3D printing technology and optimized material properties. Packed with exclusive technology, the press model is equipped with Uniform Rapid Cooling, URC® , the proprietary Quintus feature that combines HIP and heat treatment in a single process. Accelerated cooling under pressure minimizes thermal distortion and improves material properties.

“For OMIC R&D to fulfill our mission, we must have world-class cutting-edge capabilities to support our applied research & development projects. We accomplish this by partnering with some of the best companies in the world in their respective fields and identifying and utilizing their unique technologies and expertise. Our solutions can be implemented by regional, national, and international partners to increase their competitiveness,” says OMIC Executive Director Craig Campbell. “We chose Quintus as a partner because the company is continually innovating, and developing new processes such as High Pressure Heat Treatment, or HPHT. After evaluating the needs of the industry, we concluded that HIP and HPHT would be critical sciences in the commercialization of Additive Manufacturing.”

Operating at a temperature of 2550°F (1400°C) and a pressure of up to 30,000 psi (2070 bar), the new press will give OMIC researchers the ability to study densification of metals as well as how HPHT can modify the grain structure to enhance the mechanical properties of additively manufactured parts. The QIH 48 has a hot zone of 14.8 inches (375 mm) in diameter and 47.2 inches (1200 mm) in height.

The press will be housed in OMIC’s new 30,000-square-foot additive manufacturing innovation center in Scappoose, approximately 20 miles north of Portland. Scheduled for ground-breaking in late 2021 and occupancy in 2022, the world-class facility will be adjacent to the Portland Community College/OMIC Training Center, which serves students in machining, fabrication, and mechatronics.

“Today’s globally competitive manufacturing industry demands rapid innovations in advanced manufacturing technologies to produce complex, high-performance products at low cost,” observes Dr. Mostafa Saber, Associate Professor of Manufacturing & Mechanical Engineering Technology at Oregon Tech. “To conduct world-class, competitive research on new high-performance metal alloys, long-lasting tools, and rapid production of complex metal structures, especially in additive manufacturing, materials densification plays a pivotal role. And that is where the advanced generation of hot isostatic pressing offers the solution. We are very excited to leverage the advantageous features offered by Quintus Technologies soon at OMIC R&D.”

“We are delighted to be working with OMIC R&D as its talented researchers expand applications for high pressure and heat treatment,” says Jan Söderström, CEO of Quintus Technologies. “As the industry leader in advanced Hot Isostatic Pressing technology for over 60 years, we see the rapid emergence of HPHT as the go-to post-processing path to lean, competitive AM operations. It is deeply gratifying to support new manufacturing approaches that improve quality, lower cost, and reduce environmental impact.”

About Quintus Technologies
Quintus Technologies is the global leader in high pressure technology. The company designs, manufactures, installs, and supports high pressure systems for sheet metal forming and densification of advanced materials. Quintus has delivered over 1,900 systems to customers within industries such as aerospace, automotive, energy, and medical implants. The company is headquartered in Västerås, Sweden, with a presence in 45 countries worldwide. For more information, visit https://quintustechnologies.com/

About OMIC R&D
Overseen by Oregon Institute of Technology, Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center Research & Development brings together manufacturing companies and higher education in a collaborative innovation environment to conduct applied research that solves industry-relevant problems with immediate manufacturing responses. OMIC research areas span a broad range--from alloy development to process automation and testing to cutting tool wear measurement to the incorporation of additive technologies—all with the goal of helping industry increase competitiveness, promoting the growth of a dynamic innovation-based economy. OMIC operations today have 40 industry partners, including Boeing, ATI Specialty Alloys & Components, Kennametal, Mitsubishi Materials, Sandvik Coromant, Seco, and Sumitomo; plus participants Oregon State University and Portland State University. To learn more, visit https://www.omic.us.