Partnership

May 10, 2023 by AddUp

The interview with Zeda’s Director of Additive Technologies highlights how the flexibility of the FormUp 350 platform helps develop challenging applications and maximize productivity. The AddUp partnership is driven by a shared goal of large-scale part production and a commitment to open collaboration.

As the AddUp and Zeda partnership continues to grow, we get insight from Zeda’s Director of Additive Technologies, Rachel Levine, on how the flexibility of the FormUp 350 helps her develop challenging applications and maximize productivity.

1. Why are you passionate about additive?

In my junior year of college I took a class called Rapid Prototyping. From that moment on, I was hooked. Up until that point, I thought I was going to join the toy industry after graduating, as I’d already begun pursuing that career with a co-op the semester before. Once I saw the potential that Additive held, I couldn’t go back to an industry that relied on older, established technologies. My favorite thing about Additive is that there are still so many unexplored applications… there are still new frontiers that only a handful of people in the world truly have the knowledge, resources, and skill to explore.

2. What excites you about the AddUp partnership and FormUp 350 platform?

This partnership feels novel in a lot of ways. Our teams have been working together now for almost a year, and rarely have I had the pleasure of working with another company that is truly willing to engage in a partnership that works towards a greater goal. Too often partnerships are constrained by mistrust and an unwillingness to share information, but the Addup team has really committed to the partnership with open minds and a shared goal to drive towards large scale part production. Not to mention the FormUp opens the door to productivity improvements with its quad laser setup, open parameters, and long life filter.

3. How does AddUp Manager’s open parameters help Zeda engineers achieve their goals?

The right parameters make all the difference when it comes to productivity, buildability, quality, and material properties. Zeda understands that high volume, fine-featured medical production may require different parameters than large space parts because they need to be optimized for different requirements. The ability to edit parameters for lattice or other specialized features is something we hope to leverage going forward. Of course, all parameters must be validated and qualified against the needs of the product; a process that we are well versed in.

4. How does the FormUp350 differ from other platforms on the market?

FormUp350 is one of the only machines on the market that can run both the typical LPBF powder cut and a much finer cut of powder. This gives us flexibility to meet certain challenging applications we may come across in the future. I’ve also recently been given a sneak peek of some future developments that make me even more excited about our partnership and the benefits we will be able to bring to our customers.

5. How does the FormUp’s 350×350 platform and 4-lasers unlock applications for Zeda customers?

As a contract manufacturer, we see a wide variety of parts. For small parts, AddUp’s full-field overlap quad laser system allows us to improve productivity. The size of the platform allows us to reach a wider range of larger parts.

6. How significant is powder management to the overall process?

Without powder reuse, Additive becomes cost prohibitive for almost all industries. With proper validation and quality monitoring, AddUp’s internal powder loop allows us to move towards infinite reuse. The validation of powder life within AddUp’s internal system is a key project Zeda will be engaging in with AddUp.

7. How does the FormUp’s Autonomous Powder Module change this for Zeda?

Powder reuse becomes somewhat of a nightmare to track once powder leaves a system where it can then be accidentally exposed to moisture or contaminated equipment. For alloys such as Titanium, the offline powder movement and sieving process can also be dangerous. FormUp’s internal, inert system removes the common contamination risks as well as the exposure and explosion risk to the operator.

March 16, 2023 by AddUp

AddUp & Zeda Partnership: Interview with Rush LaSelle, AddUp CEO

The partnership between AddUp and Zeda is set to benefit key industries such as aerospace and medical sectors. With Zeda’s expertise in additive manufacturing (AM) and AddUp’s advanced FormUp350 print system, customers will have access to expanded capabilities, reduced costs, and improved manufacturing efficiency.

After the news of such a major deployment of FormUp 350 Powder Bed Fusion machines to Zeda, we wanted to sit down with AddUp CEO, Rush LaSelle to get his take on what this partnership means for AddUp, Zeda, and key AM industries moving forward.

Who is Zeda?

Zeda is a leading technology solutions provider with the objective to better lives by investing in cutting-edge technologies, innovative companies, and groundbreaking ideas. The company’s foundation combines expertise from diverse industries, including AM, nanotech, precision manufacturing, and incubating new ideas. Greg Morris and the ZEDA team bring the experience of being the first to use metal additive, specifically Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), to revolutionize the way aircraft propulsion systems are designed and serviced today. The founding teams have expanded the use of additive to unlock an increasing number of applications within the aerospace and to accelerate the qualification of medical devices helping to improve patient outcomes.

What key industries will benefit from this partnership?

The key industries of focus will be the aerospace and medical sectors. The AM market within the medical industry was valued at $1.5 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $3.7 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 20.5%, according to a report by Research and Markets. The global aerospace AM market was valued at $0.9 billion and is expected to reach $3.3 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 21.6%, according to the same report. With this industry progression and projected market growth in mind, we are excited about our partnership with Zeda, a company that specializes in these sectors.

How will AddUp help support the growth of AM in the medical and aerospace sectors through this partnership with Zeda?

For Zeda customers, adding the AddUp FormUp350 print system to their stable additive equipment expands their capabilities and reduces the cost to deliver metal components. Initial applications will focus on the use of Titanium, Inconel, Aluminum, and Stainless Steel. Leveraging the FormUp 350’s four lasers, novel recoating strategy & monitoring systems reduce processing time during printing, delivers improved fine features & internal channels all while providing industry-leading surface finishes. These benefits reduce the need for support structures and reduce secondary processing costs and time. These features together will lead to a more efficient process for manufacturing AM parts for Zeda’s customers.

Our commitment to safer, cleaner, and more efficient manufacturing provides a foundation from which to realize design freedom and accelerated time-to-market with true industrial compliance. AddUp endeavors to deliver positive manufacturing outcomes using proven additive metal technologies forged by the uncompromising quality demanded by the factory floors upon which our company is built.

What does this partnership mean for AddUp customers?

For AddUp customers, the partnership affords immediate access to not only qualified FormUp printers for medical (13485) and aerospace (AS9100) within Zeda’s 75,000 square feet of manufacturing space in Cincinnati, OH, but offers a broad range of processes that envelope the printing process. These include; design support, simulation, cleaning, post processes, heat treatment and the requisite quality systems and traceability for the most demanding applications. With Zeda’s successful track record of serving regulated markets and the largest aerospace and medical customers in the world, companies can trust that they will get to market quickly and cost-effectively.

Greg Morris, CTO of ZEDA and Rush LaSelle, CEO of AddUp standing next to a FormUp350 system at ZEDA’s 75,000 square foot facility in Cincinnati, OH.

January 30, 2023 by AddUp

Interview of WBA and AddUp Managers to explain the background and goals of a joint initiative of creating an AM Tooling Competence Center at the WBA in early 2023.

Original Interview by Martin Ricchiuti of FORM+Werkzeug

The WBA Aachen Toolmaking Academy supports tool and mold makers in developing technological innovations for the industry. AddUp, a joint venture established by Michelin and Fives, is a global OEM of multi-technology production systems and a market leader in additive solutions.

In the FORM+Tool interview with Prof. Wolfgang Boos, Managing Partner of the WBA, and Julien Marcilly, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at AddUp, the background and goals of the joint initiative of an AM Tooling Competence Center at the WBA, which will start in early 2023, are explained will start.

Finding Additive Solutions: Easy Entry to Additive Manufacturing

AddUp will make its FormUp 350 additive manufacturing system based on the LPBF process available to the WBA. With additive manufacturing, the potential for local tool and mold making is to be tapped, and the process chain is further developed.

With the founding of the AM Tooling Competence Center at the WBA, Julien Marcilly from AddUp (right) and Prof. Wolfgang Boos from the WBA create a competence center for additive manufacturing in tool and mold making. © AddUp

FORM+Tool: Mr. Marcilly, what are the goals of AddUp with the new AM Tooling Competence Center, and what role does AddUp play in the cooperation?

Marcilly: With our AddUp GmbH, founded in April 2022 in Aachen, we are pursuing the strategic goal of opening up the German market for metal 3D printing for us. So it is only logical to enter into a partnership with the WBA. We know that there is comprehensive competence for the needs of tool and mold making, which can make a significant contribution to further advancing acceptance among users and the technology itself. We will install our latest PBF system ‘FormUp 350‘ (Powder Bed Fusion), in a dedicated hall within the WBA’s demonstration tool shop and make it accessible to potential customers. Once the plant is installed, we will place three to four application engineers and plant operators there to accompany interested parties with their first steps with metal 3D printing on our system and on the way to the first required parts with all our know-how. In addition, further developments in PBF technology are to take place on this machine together with the experts from the WBA.

FW: Prof. Boos, is 3D printing a new field of technology for the WBA that you would like to develop with the support of AddUp?

Boos: So far, the focus at the WBA has been on the classic five technologies in toolmaking. However, about four years ago, together with the partners in our toolmaking community, we started to explore the market for 3D printing in a targeted manner for high-potential solutions for the requirements of toolmaking. We were very pleased when, in the context of corona-related digital workshops and discussions with AddUp, it became clear in 2021 that an AM Tooling Competence Center represents a win-win situation for both sides.

Because for the WBA, it is a compellingly logical step to introduce this sixth technology in tool and mold making. If a partner as strong as AddUp enters the community and also agrees to install a corresponding system on which you can not only improve and optimize parts but also the process together with experienced AddUp experts for the benefit of the user, then this is a remarkably successful constellation. We look forward to working closely with you.

FW: You talk about optimizing the PBF technology. What do you mean by that?

Boos: I think it’s essential to develop a feeling for handling the materials and what performance can be achieved with the systems under optimized conditions. At the same time, however, there are also issues, such as digitization, that need to be addressed. What can be implemented as a connection? You have to get to know a lot more about the material and process. We have therefore agreed that, in addition to the two partners, AddUp and WBA, we will also involve the entire community with around 85 companies.

In this way, a much larger number of impulses and ideas come about in terms of powder, process, components, and applications. In this way, requirements are defined that can be specifically tested. This is the ideal start to act together as a problem solver in the AM context.

The ‘FormUp 350’ has up to four 500-watt ytterbium fiber lasers as a beam source and can build up parts with an edge length of up to 350 mm in layers in the cube. © AddUp

FW: The equipment and staff come from AddUp; what does the WBA bring to the cooperation?

Boos: We are also contributing a 3D printing expert from the WBA who has accumulated expertise over the years. However, our focus will be on acquiring components and addressing tool and mold makers. AddUp acts as a partner who supports us in working out the best possible process for the production of all the required components. In addition, with our classic methods, we can complete the process chain in the context of post-processing of 3D-printed components. The AM Tooling Competence Center will have a unique selling proposition because we will cover the entire process chain right through to the ready-to-use 3D-printed tool component.

Tool and mold makers can build on the extensive expertise of AddUp and the WBA in the new AM Tooling Competence Center in Aachen. The focus is on the entire process chain from design, analysis, and production to post-processing. © AddUp

FW: To arouse the interest of tool and mold makers: What specific problem cases do you want to tackle?

Marcilly: There is enormous potential for use in terms of minimized cycle times in injection molding. Our system can process fine powder with a small grain size, which brings advantages in the production of conformal cooling channels and, as a result, increases the cost-effectiveness of injection molding. We have also already developed a new tool steel and manufactured the first parts, but this is just the beginning. We are in the process of developing special steels for mold inserts in the field of stamping and forming tool construction. Looking ahead, the focus is also on tools for medical technology applications and die-casting tools.

FW: How does this cooperation support the strategic orientation of the WBA, especially with the aforementioned topic of digitization?

Boos: For about five years, WBA’s range of services has included not only the five classic technologies in isolation but also the manufacture of individual components through to complete tools. This enables us to generate up to one million euros in sales per year. We will now expand this with the sixth technology in the form of a comprehensive consulting and manufacturing service for all aspects of 3D-printed metal components. From my point of view, this includes, in particular, the entire Industry 4.0 topic.

Where currently only structure-borne noise sensors or shot counters are integrated, I am convinced that we can reach a completely new level with appropriately printed 3D components and sensors integrated into them. There are still numerous approaches and research goals that we want to pursue together.

With the involvement of AddUp in the AM Tooling Competence Center, the network of the WBA is expanded to include the key competence of 3D printing. © AddUp

FW: What appeal is made to the tool and mold-making industry at this point?

Boos: A characteristic of the classic tool and mold maker is that he has to see it first to believe that it works. Choosing to start with the component you actually need would only make sense on a case-by-case basis because that requires previous knowledge, such as a design suitable for 3D printing. As a competence center, we want to develop unique solutions together with our customers. Our offer should be an ‘Easy Entry to Additive Manufacturing, with the appeal: “Call us, no matter what it is about in the context of 3D printing.”

Marcilly: The alternative would be for the customer to buy a system. That would be a huge investment to be able to do the first steps and experiments. In practice, this hurdle is too high. In contrast, here at the AM Tooling Competence Center is the machine with the combined expertise of Add Up and WBA, which the customer can use to try their hand at parts or test materials and designs. As a service provider, AddUp prints metal parts worth around 10 million euros in France, so there is already a lot of application expertise that you can tap into and that we make available. With the first experiences and successes, the step is an easy one to invest in your first own add-up system.

FW: When will the AM Tooling Competence Center go online?

Marcilly: The system is currently being installed. We are making a presentation at the AM Tooling Competence Center on October 25, 2022, with the first applications for our AddUp project and development partners. On October 26, all WBA members will receive a tour and presentation at the WBA Annual Meeting. The official opening is planned for early 2023 with a festive kick-off event.

Boos: It’s good that we already have a kind of pre-opening at the end of October for special AddUp customers and the WBA community. On October 27th, we also have the toolmaking colloquium with the EiP award ceremony. Here we can already set the first marker for companies open to new technologies.

Marcilly: We are also presenting the FormUp 350 at the Formnext trade fair in November and look forward to seeing interested parties at our stand E01 in hall 12.0.

FW: Thank you for the interview!

WBA Aachen Toolmaking Academy GmbH

D 52074 Aachen

info@werkzeugbau-akademie.de

www.werkzeugbau-akademie.de

AddUp Global additive solutions

F63118 CEBAZAT

contact@addupsolutions.com

www.addupsolutions.com

Full interview in German read here

October 6, 2022 by AddUp

February 2017: among the many topics of the European Cleansky2 Call for Projects, one of them is attracting the attention of many entities, companies, and laboratories. Proposed by Liebherr Aerospace, it concerns the evaluation of improvements in new-generation heat exchangers using additive manufacturing.

With ten years of experience in additive manufacturing applied to complex products, particularly heat exchangers, SOGECLAIR Aerospace established a consortium to attack this project. SOGECLAIR is a high-tech engineering company in the aeronautical field. They lead the consortium, composed of AddUp, TEMISTh, and the Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI). AddUp is a French industrial company specializing in metal additive manufacturing, TEMISTh is a French developer and supplier of customized thermal solutions, and VKI is a Belgian fluid mechanics laboratory.

SOGECLAIR’s consortium is working on project NATHENA, an acronym for New Additive manufacTuring Heat ExchaNger for Aeronautic. The project will last for four years with a total budget of €1.5M and will be 100% funded by the European Commission. Start date: March 2018.

CAD of a single flow channel and interfaces to the test bench

The objective is to develop two innovative heat exchangers for the aeronautical industry. The first one is a “pre-cooler,” allowing the pre-cooling of hot air taken directly from the turbo-engines of an airliner. It will be designed in Inconel 718 because it is subjected to very high temperatures. The second is a “cooler”, located further downstream in the air conditioning chain of the aircraft, allowing the air to be cooled again for later use. It will be designed in Aluminium AlSi7Mg, which performs well at the temperature range in the downstream location. The project aims to design heat exchangers as efficient as those made by conventional methods but with reduced mass and volume.

Single flow Aluminium 3D printed channel

The first step of the NATHENA project is to establish the state of the art of heat exchangers from the point of view of design, numerical simulation, optimization, bench testing, and the associated manufacturing techniques. This work allows us to build a solid database, a structuring element to guide and refine the architectural choices and the geometrical parameters of the future intensification structures developed and characterized during the project. These structures allow for an increase in thermal exchanges by extending the exchange surface.

The early technical studies led to the collaborative creation of the first CAD (Computer Aided Design) team of new intensification structures. To select the most promising geometries, the aim is to estimate their performance, factoring in manufacturing, mechanical, fluidic, and thermal perspectives. These are then integrated into the project’s standardized test channels, printed in Inconel and Aluminium on an AddUp’s machine, the FormUp^®350.

Instrumented single flow channel

Less than ten channels are printed in each material, one channel per intensification structure. These channels are then thermally tested on a test bench, and the experimental results are compared to CFD numerical simulations (Computational Fluid Dynamics). The principle: air at room temperature is introduced at the entrance of the channels while the heat exchangers are heated by a flat electrical resistor attached to one of their walls. Multiple sensors then measure the gas’s pressure, temperature, and velocity at different positions in the channels. These measurements are then used to confirm the validity of the numerical simulation models and to compare the performance of the different structures.

Through simulation and testing, the consortium gains a better understanding of the flows and heat transfers in different structures produced by additive manufacturing. The manufacturability of such geometries with many thin walls is evaluated as well. These first very encouraging results allow us to outline the most efficient heat exchanger architecture, offering the best compromise between manufacturability, mechanical strength, thermal performance, and fluid performance. All these results continue to build on the already established database.

Single flow channel test results and comparison with simulations for one of the Aluminium samples – left: linear pressure evolution, right: heat transfer coefficient

This first study on the representative channels thus launches a campaign of similar tests involving two hot and cold fluids. The goal is to characterize the performance of the chosen geometry in a miniature heat exchanger in which the hot source is no longer an electrical resistor but a hot air flow. The channels here will be in a crossed configuration.

Three two-fluid channels are printed: two in Inconel and one in Aluminium, for which the parametric intensification structures are calculated and adapted according to the airflow characteristics. The manufacturing of a very large number of thin-walled fins (several thousand), with the associated printing quality, dewaxing, and finishing requirements, is a real challenge. The channels are then characterized on a test bench, allowing once again to correlate experimental tests and numerical simulations.

Instrumental dual flow channel

Thanks to a homogenization method, these thermo-fluidic characterizations have enabled the creation of metamaterials (“Equivalent Porous Media” or EPM with equivalent volume properties) which simplify the numerical simulations, lighten the models, and reduce the calculation time. Correlations between numerical simulations and tensile tests of specimens, also produced in Inconel 718 and Aluminium AlSi7Mg, allow us to refine these mechanical metamaterials. Indeed, a heat exchanger is a system with numerous small and complex geometries in a large volume. Simulating them numerically can be very computationally expensive if such techniques are not used.

Schematic diagram of the double flow test bench

The next step is to integrate the most efficient intensification structure in two larger prototypes of heat exchangers (one in AlSi7Mg and one in Inconel 718). As in the previous step, the objectives are to improve performance and better correlate the results between numerical simulations and experiments on the test bench. The aim is to generate as much data as possible and to increase the knowledge of additive manufacturing applied to complex thermal equipment.

3D print simulation of a double-flow channel

Control tomography of a double-flow channel

CAD of a heat exchanger prototype and printed prototype in AlSi7Mg

All these simulations and experiments have enabled us to precisely determine the performance of the selected intensification structure and the internal architecture. The two final heat exchangers were designed to meet Liebherr Aerospace’s specifications accordingly. New tools and innovative methods had to be used to realize their CAD, considering the size of the designs and the very high number of integrated intensification structures (more than a million). The data generated by the test of the Aluminium prototype was also used to simulate the theoretical performance of the final exchanger and to generate a first CAD of the full part, with a volume corresponding to 12 printed prototype cells (see below).

In order to meet the performance requirements of the final part, a focused study was carried out based on the initial data from AddUp and adapted to the specific needs of this project. The specifications expressed by the consortium contain 3 major points:

Thin waterproof walls in IN718 (between 100 and 300µm)
Productivity increase
Surface finish on fins and channels <6µm

To master the constraints of this development, AddUp uses the latest generation machine (FormUp 350 – New Generation) allowing the use of 4 lasers as well as enhanced monitoring and tracking systems (sensor monitoring, recoating control, …). This data, coupled with the results of experimental measurements, have made it possible to define an operating range and a set of stable manufacturing parameters.

The complete heat exchanger was produced with a manufacturing strategy that allowed the simultaneous use of 4 lasers to increase the productivity of the laser powder bed fusion technology. This performance was made possible by the prior validation of the various key characteristics of the part (mechanical, thermal, dimensional).

CAD and prototype exchanger printed in IN718

Like the Aluminium exchanger, the Inconel exchanger was tested on a test bench to evaluate and validate the first models established for Aluminium. These experiments allowed us to study and highlight the impact of the roughness, but also to validate the first behavior models used during the simulations.

Illustration of thermal test bench (VKI)

The roughness-related deviation is considered in the heat flow simulations performed by Temisth. The calculations show a temperature distribution matching the data from the real measurements, validating the first models used.

Illustration of the simulated temperature fields on the cold side (left) and the warm side (right) _ Temisth

Experimental results on test bench – IVK

The size and details of the final complete exchanger (670x450x320mm) in Inconel 718 from the conclusions of the study show the possibility of integrating additive manufacturing for the realization of heat exchangers with performances at least matching that of current heat exchangers.

Technological hurdles overcome within the project :

Depowdering
Manufacturing strategy for thin walls
Manufacturing strategy to reduce surface roughness
Generation of a high air flow at -15°C
Temperature measurement mapping
Correlation between simulations and experimental measurements
Calculations based on experimental measurements to predict the aerothermal performance of fabricated exchangers
Management of large files
CAD methodology adapted to complex structures
Calculation methodology adapted to complex structures
The manufacturing strategy allows the use of 4 lasers on the same part

NATHENA: the consortium

SOGECLAIR aerospace

With its roots in aeronautics, the SOGECLAIR group designs, manufacture, and supports innovative solutions and products for transport in the civil and military fields.

Its R&D policy supports its participation in major future programs such as the development of the aircraft of the future and autonomous vehicles.

Its subsidiary, SOGECLAIR aerospace, is an international leader in the design and integration of high-value-added solutions for the aerospace industry. It designs, manufactures, and maintains the main components of aerostructures and aircraft interiors.

SOGECLAIR aerospace develops and deploys advanced materials and technologies such as thermoplastics and additive manufacturing.

With more than 1600 employees worldwide, SOGECLAIR aerospace has recognized know-how in:

Design and architecture of aerostructures and systems,
Design and manufacture of aircraft interiors,
Configuration management at the program, engineering, and industrial level,
Design and manufacture of simulated and embedded equipment.

AddUp

AddUp, created in 2016, is a joint venture between Fives and Michelin. It is a provider of complete industrial metal 3D printing solutions.

AddUp is involved in:

Design and manufacture of machines integrated into a complete production line, from powder management to the finished part,
Customer support for the production of metal 3D printed parts, to support investment projects in additive manufacturing for aerospace or additional production needs,
Cross-functional service activity, including the redesign of parts and additional services associated with the machine offering, helps companies find the most appropriate technical and financial solutions.

TEMISTh

TEMISTh is a company that specializes in developing and supplying customized thermal solutions. To do so, the company develops numerical simulation and optimization tools for automated heat exchanger design. This allows the company to develop new heat exchanger concepts to be produced by additive manufacturing.

Thanks to its location at the TEAM Henri Fabre Technocentre, TEMISTh offers various advanced manufacturing technologies such as metal and polymer additive manufacturing, foundry, machining, and assembly for function hybridization through brazing or friction welding. TEMISTh’s mastery of all these processes enables it to offer optimized and successful solutions to all its customers. All parts developed and produced can then be tested on TEMISTh’s thermal test benches.

The industrial fields in which the company operates are numerous: aeronautics, space, transport, oil and gas, and electronics.

Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics

The Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI) was founded in 1956 by Professor Theodore Von Karman as an international center combining education and research for the citizens of NATO countries under his motto “Training in research through research”.

Educational programs provided: Conferences / Courses / Colloquia, Short Courses, Master’s Thesis, Master of Research in Fluid Dynamics, Doctoral Program, and Applied Research Program.

The VKI undertakes and promotes research into experimental, computational, and theoretical aspects of liquid and gas flows in the fields of aeronautics, aerospace, turbomachinery, environment, and industrial and safety processes. Some 50 specialized test facilities are available, some of which are unique or among the largest in the world.

Research is conducted under the direction of faculty and research engineers, mainly sponsored by governmental and international agencies and companies.

Liebherr Aerospace

Liebherr Aerospace designs, develop, and manufactures air systems, flight control systems, and landing gear, as well as gears and gearboxes, and electronics for the aerospace industry. Liebherr Aerospace provides complete OEM customer services through a global network that offers equipment repair and overhaul, technical support and documentation, spare parts supply, and AOG service.