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 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 is an Italian company that designs motorcycles and scooters for other companies .
The Rugged has been redesigned and optimised from a 2018 model . 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
“ The global market revenue generated by the defence and aerospace sector accounts for US $ 1.36 billion in the year 2020 and it is anticipated to reach a value of around US $ 7.08 billion by the year 2028 . The market growth dynamics account for a CAGR of 20.11 % during the forecast period , 2020- 2028 ,” commented analyst Research & Markets .
North America is expected to dominate the global market with a market value of US $ 2.83 billion , owing to the increasing R & D investment in this sector coupled with an infrastructure that supports the same .
“ The early adoption of 3D printing technology in North America is another factor that fuels its market growth . Europe is expected to be the second-largest market due to growing industrialisation coupled with the low production cost of additive manufacturing . ROW is expected to grow with the highest CAGR of 35.71 %,” added the analyst .
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 . Additive manufacturing allows manufacturers in the aerospace industry to become more cost-effective , competitive and successful in selling new products .
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 .
“ However , there are still technological difficulties to be addressed to completely achieve additive manufacturing capabilities ( such as the testing of the parts manufactured to ensure that they are not going to fail in operation ),” cautioned the analyst .
Additive manufacturing presents the opportunity to completely rethink a product ’ s design , transforming its functionality and reducing manufacturing complexity
“ Additive manufacturing presents the opportunity to completely rethink a product ’ s design , transforming its functionality and reducing manufacturing complexity . This is a disruptive technology that is transformational . Aerospace companies and government programmes are focusing on the advance of metal 3D printing for aerospace engine applications . Advances have been able to make commercial additive manufacturing a reality ,” commented a recent report .
“ The aerospace sector has long been
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
Stratasys FDM additive manufacturing is used across ground equipment operations for the Typhoon fighter aircraft ( Photo : Business Wire ).
recognised as an early adopter when it comes to cutting-edge technology inventions , and as such it is unsurprising that the use of additive manufacturing ( AM ) as a production tool is relatively familiar in many of the leading aerospace OEMS and their supply chains ,” commented Will Dick-Cleland , Process Technology Team , Alloyed .
“ The sector is typically not a mass production industry but is instead characterised by complex low-volume manufacture which plays directly to the strengths of metal AM , and specifically the Laser Powder Bed Fusion ( L-PBF ) process , when compared to traditional metal manufacturing processes . In an area that is highly competitive , where conventional manufacturing processes are costly — especially for metal components produced in relatively low volumes — and with supply chains constantly under pressure to conform to ever more stringent environmental performance restrictions , the aerospace sector needs to become more agile . Metal AM processes , with the ability to manufacture innovative geometrically complex parts in a timely , local and cost-effective way , have a huge part to play .”
AM ’ s disruptive potential for the aerospace sector is widely acknowledged , holding out the opportunity to break the typical compromise between scale and scope in manufacturing firstly by reducing the capital expenditure required to achieve economies of scale , and secondly by increasing the variety of designs that a given amount of capital expenditure can produce . One AM platform can build a number of complicated parts with variable designs , and this means that large centralised factories with assembly lines are not always required . With AM complexity , production change- overs and customisation are cheaper .
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