Greenville, South Carolina-based Michelin Molding Solutions (MMS) has purchased its second AddUp FormUp 350 powder bed fusion (PBF) machine after successfully installing and commissioning the first in 2022.
This machine is the sixth addition to a global fleet of FormUp systems operating in Europe and North America. FormUp 350 utilizes high quality output and technology to safely manage metal powder.
A single FormUp 350 can produce the amount of tire mold inserts that previously required five metal 3D printers, according to AddUp. The company says that thanks to the productivity and volume production capability of its additive manufacturing (AM) machines (3D printers), each new FormUp 350 replaces five older AM machines.
By industrializing metal AM, MMS has been able to produce many molded sipe inserts with increasingly complex shapes to improve traction and wear over the life of the tire.
MMS is Michelin’s global tire vulcanization mold manufacturing division with locations in Europe, Asia and North America. It supplies molds to Michelin’s tire factories worldwide.
Glen Nelson, technical development manager at MMS, added: “MMS is very pleased with the productivity and quality achievable with AddUp’s FormUp 350. This level of productivity allowed us to retire older and less productive 3D printers. “We have seen improvements in the cleanliness and safety of our operations and our operators greatly appreciate the ease of use from build plate programming to machine setup to the machine user interface.”
