Page 36 - ITA Journal 3-2018

Technical Papers
GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS, NEWCAST 2019
Additive manufacturing: the key issue for production engineering in future
Preparation of the body: a rst-genera- tion VW Caddy was gutted completely and a new front end structure was tted.
Automotive and aerospace industries opt for 3D printing
Additive manufacturing is the key issue for production engineering in future. Conventional manufac- turing technologies are being sup- plemented to an ever increasing extent by three-dimensional print- ing, which is already in successful operation in many sophisticated elds like the medical engineer- ing, automotive and aerospace industries. The foundry, steel and aluminium industries have also recognised the potential of 3D printing. For this reason, the four Düsseldorf trade fairs GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS, NEWCAST 2019 (25. to 29. June 2019) are devotingaspecialshowofitsown to the subject of “additive manu- facturing”.
A look under the bonnet of the demonstration vehicle shows the potential that industrial 3D print- ing has for the automotive indus- try: few components but with more functions and considerably less weight. The new crash-proof front end structure of the old VW Caddy, which weighs 34 kg, is made from the extremely strong and tough high-performance alloy Scalmalloy from the Airbus sub- sidiary APWorks using a 3D printer supplied by the German company EOS. The 3iprint project that was carried out under the leadership of the development service pro- vider csi won the “German Inno- vation Award 2018” in mid-June. The aim of the Caddy concept is to indicate what is technologically possible in automotive production
using new design methods and new materials with the help of additive manufacturing.
Three-dimensional manufacturing processes, which is the general term used for the various additive production technologies with all the different kinds of 3D printing systems, are where the future lies. Additive manufacturing with plas- tics, metals and ceramics is already an essential feature of industrial production today. Almost 40 per cent of the German companies surveyed in 2016 already used 3D printing, as the consulting rm EY determined. The potential in all the different elds is tremendous. 3D printing with concrete could revolutionise the construction industry, while the bioprinting of living tissue is already possible – and even the printing of human organs is an issue that is the subject of serious research.
3D printing is creating new oppor- tunities for the metal industries from aluminium and steel to titanium and special materials – whether foundries and steel mills or forging and sheet processing companies are involved. With 3D printers, structures are produced layer by layer on the basis of digital design data. Material is only used where it is needed. Additive technologies have their strengths where conventional manufactur- ing processes like casting, milling or forging reach their limits. 3D printing gives designers unlim- ited geometric freedom. Complex components with a bionic struc- ture and integrated functions can,
Not only heat management but also passive safety, liquid storage and other functions were integrated in the organic, load-driven design of the front module.
High-tech with integrated functions: heat management as well as space and weight reduction are crucial features of the design for the innovative front end.
ITAtube Journal No3/October 2018
36