All Additive/3D Printing articles – Page 3
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ArticleMaterial changes guide the new additive manufacturing routes
Additive manufacturing is offering not only a wider range of application techniques but also materials with polymers now joined by metals and even ceramics
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ArticleAdditive from the desktop
Dunlop has taken its first step into the use of additive technology with the purchase of a desktop machine
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ArticleBMW takes additive manufacturing from prototype to serial lines
OEMs and tier suppliers are now integrating additive manufacturing processes into their production operations – a prime example is BMW
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VoiceThe fine print
GOM’s work on the engine front cover of a 1967 Cadillac Eldorado ably demonstrates the value of optical metrology in the 3D printing process
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ArticleSuppliers partner to enable high-volume 3D printing
Germany - Covestro and Carbon are hoping to make 3D printing applicable for mass volume applications
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ArticleGKN opens 3D printing customer centre
US - GKN Powder Metallurgy has opened its new headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The 38,260sq.ft facility also includes an additive manufacturing customer centre. ”We are excited to start a new journey in Auburn Hills with a space that is dedicated to our team, our community and the advanced technology ...
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ArticleDaimler develops 3D printing line
Germany - Since May 2017, Daimler has been working with Premium Areotec and EOS to develop a production line that would be able to produce aluminium components by using 3D printing. The companies found that manufacturing costs can be reduced by approximately 50% when compared to existing 3D printing systems. ...
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PodcastAMS Podcast Episode 03 – Look to the future, it’s only just begun
With absolutely no apologies for quoting Slade, AMS Editor Nick Holt and AMS Deputy Editor Gareth Price see this Christmas as the ideal time to look back at a selection of topics featured in AMS magazine during 2018.
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ArticleA high-performance build
The Audi R8 series of sports cars is described as being closer to motor racing than any other on-the-road vehicles. Mike Farish takes a closer look at the manufacturing operation The latest versions of both the Coupe and Spyder convertible variants of the R8 are made at Audi Sport’s Böllinger ...
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ArticleInterview: Daniël Bottema, AWL-Techniek
Daniël Bottema, research and development manager at AWL-Techniek BV, talked to Dermot Healy about the role AWL hope to play developing the fully automated factory of the future You have been speaking recently about the fully automated factory in presentations to customers. How far along the automation road are ...
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ArticleFact, not fiction
Mike Farish reports on a sci-fi inspired additive technique that’s gaining interest with automotive manufacturers New items of technology often get hyped as being like something from science fiction, but in the case of one of the most innovative and unusual additive techniques now on the market, continuous liquid interface ...
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ArticleFrom prototypes to production
The use of additive manufacturing technologies has now expanded beyond their initial ‘rapid prototyping’ exclusivity. Mike Farish provides an insight As well as being used in limited production roles, additive techniques are still being applied in new and innovative ways as product development tools. One example is at the Plastics ...
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ArticleVW to 3D print for mass production
Germany - The OEM has announced that it is the first car maker to be using HP Metal Jet - a metallic 3D printing process that is more simple and faster than other existing techniques. According to the company, productivity is improved by fifty times compared to these other methods."Automotive ...
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ArticleDaimler to print aluminium components
Germany - The OEM has been working with Premium Aerotec and EOS to develop an additive manufacturing production cell that can make parts out of aluminium. The cell is fully automated, and is located at the Premium Aerotec facility in Varel, northern Germany.A EOS M 400-4 four-laser 3D printing system ...
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ArticleDo protótipo à produção
O uso de tecnologias de fabricação aditiva não se limita mais à área de aplicação inicial de "prototipagem rápida"Embora agora sejam aplicadas em funções de produção limitadas, as técnicas aditivas ainda estão sendo usadas de maneiras inovadoras como ferramentas de desenvolvimento de produtos. Um exemplo é o Centro de Impressão ...
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ArticleStratasys starts shipping 3D printer
Israel - The Fortus 380mc Carbon Fiber Edition was first previewed at the additive manufacturing event called Rapid 2018, and is now available to purchase for US$70,000. It is dubbed by the company as an "affordably priced additive manufacturing system dedicated for carbon-fiber-filled Nylon 12."The printer has already been used ...
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ArticleFrom prototype to production
The use of additive manufacturing technologies has now moved passed their initial application area of just ‘rapid prototyping’ While now seeing use in limited production roles, additive techniques are still being put to use in new and innovative ways as product development tools. One example is the Plastics 3D Printing ...
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Article
- 从原型设计到生产
增材制造技术的使用已经跨越了“快速原型设计”这个初期应用阶段 增材技术虽然目前对生产的作用很有限，但是作为产品开发工具，它的使用方法仍然是新奇而创新的。其中一个例子就是德国因戈尔施塔特奥迪预产车中心（Pre-Series Centre）的塑料3D打印中心（Plastics 3D Printing Centre）。这个中心用于测试Stratasys J750机械的的潜力，尤其是尾灯罩的原型设计，根据机械潜力研究结果，奥迪公司决定在增材技术名单上再添一笔。3D打印中心的Dr Tim Spiering证实称，“我们对J750的测试非常成功，尤其是与Stratasys和供应商合作打印了尾灯罩。” 减少前置时间在尾灯罩这个事情上，公司预测最大的好处是可以压缩开发时间。Dr Tim Spiering证实称，“我们预测，尾灯罩的生产前置时间要比传动的方法，比如钻孔和铸造降低50%。” 机械还能提供不同的颜色，因此奥迪计划将这个优势发挥到最高。Dr Tim Spiering称，“我们的第一的应用领域就是各种颜色光照模型的原型。我们会特别搭配红色和黄色，因为这两种颜色是照明常用的颜色。” Dr Tim Spiering解释了原来原型设计技术面临的主要挑战，其中一个挑战就是在如何在多种颜色调配和劳动力密集的装配程序之间的取舍，而后者证实尾灯罩多色所必须的产物。独立着色的零部件必须得装配到一起，才是完整的汽车，而汽车就不可能完好无损。相比之下，J750机械能使多颜色尾灯罩一次打印生产步骤透明化，消除了之前的多步骤过程。公司的实验能力也没有出现任何实际的限制，因为奥迪团队可以获得500,000种不同的配色。Dr Tim Spiering表示，“由于该机械的打印分辨率很高，因此预计内饰不规则零部件也能展示高度的细节。” 这种独特的应用对公司整个发展时间尺度将具有巨大的影响，虽然Dr Spiering的态度非常谨慎。他认为“总体前置时间的降低可以让我们在有限的时间框架镍设计更多的方案，但是由于尾灯罩的生产知识整个照明设计流程的一步，因此我们还得评估很长之间之后这个流程的影响。” 尽管如此，其他的材料特性要从视觉外观和操作特性方面进行探索。Dr Spiering补充说，“既然我们想要进一步应用这个机械，就要使用标准模型材料和特殊的弹性材料，才能完成除了尾灯罩以外的原型设计应用。” 多色开发程序有趣的是，这机械只是Stratasys定义的“喷射”技术中的一种例子，这来源于喷墨印刷技术，在几年前收购以色列Objet公司的时候增加的产品。对于奥迪来说，新机械可以增补同类型产品。Dr Spiering表示，“我们预计J750可以增补其他喷射机械，进而让我们在内饰和外饰因素上进行决策。”但是奥迪公司认为，多颜色能力不仅可以有助于设计相关方面的决策，还能帮助解决“难度更高”的工程设计方面的问题。Dr Spiering表示，“这个技术可以生产有颜色的汽车组件模型，比如发动机、控制要素或电子元件，促进开发程序中的积极讨论。” Stratasys负责制造方案的副总裁Scott Sevcik反复强调了增材制造零部件各种因素的重要性，比如颜色、质地和外观细节。Sevcik说，喷射虽然来源于相对低成本技术，但是不应该忽略其高端的功能。他说，这个技术对Stratasys其他增材技术具有补充作用 — 比如“熔融沉积制造（FDM）”，这是一项具有针对性的挤压技术 — 它的开发是最早的。他说，FDM相比喷射技术的本质属性是所生产的零部件的强度很高，非常适合生产复合材料模具，甚至是一些终端零部件。他认为“它们之间重叠的部分不多。” Antero 800NA是一种新型热塑材料，今年4月份刚刚进入市场。Sevcik表示，它是基于PEKK（聚醚酮酮）的制造的一种材料，用于汽车业，其最有趣的特征可能是对碳氢化合物具有高度抗化学性，比如燃料和润滑液。据说，这种材料还拥有较高的抗热性，适合用于发动机盖里罩。此外，由于FDM技术是一种连续挤压技术，通过这种方法制造的零部件要比使用其他PEKK粉末材料制造的零部件更加耐用。 增材技术在汽车制造其他方面也是大展拳脚，而且有时不一定只有直接制造技术的形式。相反，有时候可以是装配工人使用的工具，帮助他们完成零部件装卸和升降工作。这么做的好处就是可以大幅降低成本，并且压缩工具生产的前置时间，准确匹配相关零部件的几何结构以及工人的生理特点。 内部工具制造有一个汽车工厂成功探索了这种技术，而且报告称取得了巨大的成就，这就是葡萄牙帕尔梅拉的大众欧洲汽车公司（Volkswagen Autoeuropa）。公司旗下有5,700名员工生产Volkswagen Sharan、T-Roc和SEAT Alhmabra汽车。目前公司每天能生产860辆汽车。回首几年前，公司为了减少工人所使用工具的生产前置时间和成本，禁止向外采购。公司发现，这种方法可以使前置时间减少数个星期，尤其是在需要多种设计或装配的情况下。从根本上来讲，这是一种反复试验的方法，而不是朝着固定目标制定一套程序的过程。因此，公司开始寻找一种厂内解决方案，短期目标能够产生更多的原型设计、仪表、工具以及内部备用配件，从而减少开发时间以及接受测试流程的时间。 有一项市场调查显示，总部在荷兰的Ultimaker公司采用3D打印机械，以及一种被技术供应商成为“粘接丝加工”的技术来制造各种高分子材料零部件。葡萄牙大众工厂现在拥有7个Ultimaker3机械，据称采购成本比原来与外部供应商合作的方法降低91%，执行时间降低95%，而相关人体工学、装配流程和质量都得到了改进。 据工厂试验车间工程师Luis Reis表示，公司现在已经综合使用增材制造工具，并深入到生产流程中。他证实称，“大众欧洲汽车公司开发、打印、测试并实施了多种3D打印工具。从最简单的模板与手动工具，到更为复杂的仪表，比如固定标识和标牌的工具，一直到零部件装配用的搞复杂固定装置。3D打印工具应用于生产线上多种应用，被很多操作员所使用。”不仅公司增材制造工具的数量多，而且所用材料种类也非常多。Reis在这两方面都提供更多信息。 增材成为生产的一部分在数量方面Reisshuo ，“这些工具的被接受程度很乐观，我们可以肯定地说目前所使用工具类型非常广泛。我们可以说，生产线每天使用300个3D打印工具、备用配件和组件，原来生产的工具还在继续使用。”他还说，每周大约生产3种全新工具。 在材料方面，Reis说得非常明确，3D打印技术的成功与材料是密不可分的。他说在大众欧洲汽车公司内部最常使用的材料是PLA（聚乳酸）、TPU（热塑性聚氨酯）PET（聚对苯二甲酸）和尼龙。他还补充称，“我们在市场不断寻找新的材料，因此我们所能的多的材料种类非常广泛。” 但Reis说从更广泛程度上说，使用增材机械具有很多不可计量但仍然可认明的好处。第一点是直接人体工学效率 — 他说“3D打印工具的设计的轻质特点可以为任何生产线带来附加值。”其中一个重点因素就是，工具可以根据工人的要求进行设计和制造。另一个简单但非常有效地能力就是，但因的工具可以配色。他说，“建立简单的色码是一种非常积极地附加元件。在我们的工厂里，所有的左手仪表都是绿色的，所有的右手仪表都是红色的。这种方法可以对这些仪表加上不同而清晰的颜色，从而简化决策过程，避免出现错误。” ...
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ArticleSimulation-driven design software
Altair has released its Inspire 2018 simulation-driven design software. The company says features of this new version include generating optimised lattice and mixed solid structures, visualising simulation results in 3D and exporting lattice designs in .stl file format for 3D printing.Other new features include design for additive manufacturing with overhang ...
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ArticleForging a future in Factory 56
New car manufacturing facilities will need to be highly flexible as the trends of vehicle electrification and autonomous driving continue to evolve. Mercedes-Benz futuristic ‘Factory 56’ paves a new path.