We saw potential, had AMBITION and solved the problem.
The problem
Dating back to the early 1990’s, academic research had demonstrated the potential benefits of combining additive techniques with milling. However, despite the universally acknowledged potential, and a few niche successes, there were still no commercial solutions for enabling mainstream CNC machines to add metal. This where we come in.
The Solution
In 2007, active use of a high-speed milling machine was initiated at De Montfort University’s Additive Manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing research laboratory. The cross-pollination of additive and subtractive technologies led to a 4-year UK-based research project named RECLAIM.
The key objectives were to provide a practical means for hybrid manufacturing. In order to achieve this, we designed and developed a set of compact directed energy deposition heads. What made them unique was the integration method. For the first time ever, a solution was created that did not require modification of the structural parts of the CNC machine. This research endeavor has matured into the AMBIT™ tool-changeable deposition system. By 2013 Dr. Jason Jones and Peter Coates founded what is now Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies. In 2020, on the heels of birthing a new manufacturing approach to aid in the fight against COVID-19, Hybrid Advanced Manufacturing was born.
Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies is not only the bridge between additive manufacturing and subtractive, it’s the bridge between different kinds of additive manufacturing technology.
