ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
Additive manufacturing metal component production through selective laser beam melting for BMW .
in the coming years ,” commented analyst , Grand View Research .
The increased demand for customised products across various industries has also fuelled the rise of additive manufacturing ( AM ). AM enables the manufacturing of complex designs that are too difficult or expensive to produce using traditional machining , milling , moulds and dies . It also excels at rapid prototyping , offering a dynamic and design-driven process . AM is ideal for making prototypes quickly using 3D CAD and eliminates the extensive process and associated high costs . Lead times can be halved , compared to conventional methods such as injection moulding , allowing companies to have quicker go-to-market strategies . A printed prototype also enables close examination for modifications and customisations , before embarking on massprinting . This helps companies to save costs before committing to bulk print orders .
Growing emphasis by the EU Commission to reduce the overall weight of vehicles for reducing emissions is also likely to influence market growth . Advances in metal 3D printing technology are projected to open up new horizons for lighter , safer and cleaner products .
Multiple industries , including healthcare , automotive and aerospace and defence , are experiencing production and business transformations in the critical areas of their
Porsche piston blanks after 3D printing . businesses , owing to the maturity of additive technologies and material supply chains . For example , interior aircraft parts , such as ducting , vents and airflow systems which are created with additive manufacturing , enable designers to trim weight , reduce the number of components in the assemblies and conform to tight cabin interiors . AM provides design freedom to experiment with more effective and efficient part shapes , with fewer potential points of failure .
Automotive applications
Now fixtures in automotive design studios , factory assembly lines and test tracks , 3D printers are creating complex parts , speeding up tooling cycles , enhancing measurement and testing and providing customisation solutions across all aspects of the vehicle development process .
The automotive segment led the 3D printing market and accounted for more than 23 % share of the global revenue in 2020 . The automotive and aerospace / defence verticals particularly use prototyping to design and develop parts , components and complex systems . Prototyping allows manufacturers to achieve higher accuracy and develop reliable end products .
For the Dark Side Edition of the DS- 3 by DS Automobiles , a subsidiary of the PSA group , 3D printing specialist , Spartacus3D , worked in close collaboration with EOS to manufacture a trim strip from titanium . The part is built on an EOS M 290 from EOS Titanium Ti64 . The build time of each part is less than one hour ; 200 parts can be manufactured per job without affecting the product quality , it explained .
Automotive OEMS such as BMW , Volkswagen , Audi , Porsche and Ford are already using 3D printing technologies . Short lead times , access to new materials and customisable finishes have encouraged automobile manufacturers to integrate 3D printing processes into their production strategies . Selective laser sintering , fused deposition and selective laser melting are some of the technologies used in this manufacturing process . Metal additive manufacturing is also used to produce different automobile parts such as bumpers , windbreakers , pumps , valves and cooling vents .
Additive manufacturing with 3D printers is also helping to speed up the design and development process of EVs ( electric vehicles ) so they
can be designed A 3D-printed part for AUDI AG . to be smaller ,
more compact and friendlier on the environment .
Electric motorcycles are also using 3Dprinted components . From a partnership between the innovative designer of E-Racer and the technical experience of WASP , a new electric 3D-printed motorcycle has evolved , ‘ The Rugged ’. E-Racer called on WASP for the production of components such as carter , riding , tail , lateral frames and tank . The redesign has enabled better part shapes , improved their functionality and made the motorcycle lighter . The parts are 3D-printed in ABS and then sanded and treated with protective Line-X coating . This process makes them more resistant to weathering and adds durability to the material .
Defence and aerospace applications
Additive manufacturing has started to become a tool for designing , testing , tooling and manufacturing in the aerospace sector which extends beyond the manufacture of aircraft into ground assistance , maintenance and repair systems .
Repair parts are manufactured on demand where and when necessary such as in extreme environments , on a ship or on the battlefield . This has a particularly high effect on military supplies where a large amount of inventory is continuously maintained to ensure readiness for operations . It could also lead to increased reliability and a significant decrease in both delivery times and logistical footprint essential for warfare and peacekeeping missions to run smoothly .
20 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR April 2022