Fronius enters 3D printing market with CMT Additive Pro

Fronius, an Austrian welding systems manufacturer, has unveiled its CMT Additive Pro – a 3D-optimized welding process with features such as an especially even layer structure, as well as high quality and stability. At the company’s prototyping center, previously-impossible component geometries are now brought to life. The company’s iWave Multiprocess Pro, combined with the Fronius CMT Additive Pro, is compatible with common robotic arm systems.

“The right welding path with the right welding parameters and processes is crucial for a good result in metal 3D printing,” said Fronius’ Philipp Roithinger. “However, this requires a high-performance welding system that precisely ensures the accuracy of the welding torch.”

Fronius, with its CMT (Cold Metal Transfer), has been offering a highly stable, easily controllable and comparatively cool welding process for decades, but has now optimized CMT specifically for metal 3D printing. The integrated arc-on rate stabilizer ensures a consistent wire speed – significantly improving the overall stability of the manufacturing process.

“Another innovation is the adjustable heat input, which ensures consistency in the height and width ratio of the bead, regardless of the current temperature of the base material or the previously welded layer. Weld layers usually become wider and flatter as the component heats up,” said Roithinger. “The power correction feature counteracts this, so that identical welds can be stacked on top of each other, layer after layer.”

Fronius has also developed the Pulsed Hot Start function, which simultaneously achieves sufficient penetration and a constant layer height by starting welding within the pulsed arc. Here, the whole process is controlled automatically, so no extra settings are necessary.