Page 10 - 3D Metal Printing Summer 2019

3D TECH UPDATE Beta Binder Jet System
At RAPID + TCT, ExOne introduced its X1 25PRO metal additive manufacturing (AM) beta system, and Kennametal, Inc., a tooling supplier, as a beta customer. The machine manufactures metal, ceramic and other advanced material parts directly, as well as standard industry powders used in metal injection molding and other powder metallur- gy (PM) processes. On hand for the announce- ment were John Hartner, CEO of ExOne, and Sherri McCleary, Kennametal’s director of busi- ness development-additive.
“Working with companies like Kennametal is an important step toward integrating 3D printing into production lines,” Hartner says.
Adds McCleary: “ExOne’s binder jet technology serves as an enabler for our high- performance material such as tungsten carbide and our Stellite alloys.”
ExOne: www.exone.com
Kennametal, Inc.: www.kennametal.com
Metal AM Big at Bugatti for Auto Parts
Recent dynamic bench testing pro- vides “proof that these metal AM com- ponents can cope with extreme strength, stiffness and temperature requirements at speeds exceeding 230 mph with a braking force of 1.35 g and brake discs reaching temperatures greater than 2000 F,” offers Frank Götzke, head of new technologies at Bugatti.
The testing revealed a tensile strength of 1250 MPa and material den- sity surpassing 99.7 percent.
Another component, an active-rear- spoiler bracket, also made from Ti6Al4V and manufactured on an SLM 500 by Fraunhofer IAPT, aids a 1500-hp vehicle in reaching speeds of nearly 250 mph in only 32.6 sec. and bringing it back to a stop in only 9 sec. The spoiler can be adjusted in height and angle to support the aerodynamics required.
Bugatti teamed with Siemens to opti- mize—for weight and rigidity—the bracket for production and reduce the number of optimization iterations need- ed. Also with a tensile strength of 1250 MPa and material density surpassing 99.7 percent, the new bracket reported- ly features a 53-percent weight reduc- tion—nearly 12 lb.—and increased rigid- ity without sacrificing functional benefits.
Another metal AM success for Bugat- ti: a small motor bracket with integrated water cooling that acts as an active heat shield to significantly reduce transferred heat. The bracket, made from AlSi10Mg on an SLM 280 Twin machine, was com- missioned by SLM Solutions at Rolf Lenk Werkzeugbau GmbH. It has been installed in all series vehicles since the delivery of the first Bugatti Chiron from the auto manufacturer’s production facili- ty in Molsheim, France.
At formnext 2018 last fall, the SLM Solutions booth featured eight Bugatti W16 cylinder head covers created in a single build on an SLM 800, with each hood measuring about 11 in. wide by 2.6 in. thick and 29 in. tall.
SLM Solutions: www.slm-solutions.com
Early and often describes the
adoption and use of metal AM at
Bugatti, a European manufactur-
er of high-performance automo-
biles. The automaker, a sub-
sidiary of Volkswagen, enlists
SLM Solutions, with U.S. head-
quarters in Wixom, MI, to pro-
vide the 3D printing technology
used to produce multiple metal
functional components for its
high-end sports cars. The capa-
bility assists Bugatti in light-
weighting efforts while providing functional as well as stylized parts, according to com-
pany officials.
These parts include a brake
caliper, in terms of volume reportedly the largest function- al titanium component ever built via the selective laser melting AM process. The component, made from Ti6Al4V, was produced by Fraunhofer IAPT and Bionic Production AG on an SLM
500 machine featuring four 400-W lasers.
In recognition of the automaker’s 110th birthday, Bugatti unveiled new limited-edition models. La Voiture Noire, an extremely limited edition—a one-off with a $12 mil- lion price tag—boasts a 16-cylinder, 8-l engine. The high-speed, high-performance vehicle is characteristic of Bugatti’s automotive lineup, which benefits from the strength, durability and unique designs afforded via metal AM technology.
8 | 3D METAL PRINTING • SUMMER 2019
3DMPmag.com
This Bugatti brake caliper, reportedly the largest (in volume) functional titanium component built via the selective laser melting AM process, was made from Ti6Al4V.