Metal 3D printing future industrial application inventory
With the rise of domestic 3D printing and the promotion of various applications, metal 3D printing has attracted much attention as the focus of future industrial applications. The industry combines many metal 3D printing cases on the market, for rapid prototyping and mold, spare parts, parts integration, The analysis of the four steps of the multi-function precision components.
First, rapid prototyping and mold Prototype and Tooling
Case: Aerospace prototype Prototype Aero
Titanium alloys are often used in the aerospace industry because of their high performance and light weight. At the same time, because aerospace components generally do not have the need for batch processing, single-piece products can withstand the price of 3D printing, so metal 3D printing in the aerospace industry. Can have a large development area. For example, the aerospace parts in the figure, with its complex structure and high performance and light weight requirements, complete the printing of the parts through titanium alloy 3D printing, reflecting the advantages of 3D printing technology in the aerospace field.
Case: New product prototype Prototype New Product
New products often require multiple prototype tests when they enter the market, and the higher the efficiency of the response, the more effective the product is. If the prototype cost of producing a product by traditional mold opening is very expensive and the development cycle is long, and 3D printing can achieve rapid rapid prototyping and guarantee product quality, it opens up a shortcut for such prototype production.
Case: Tooling with Cold Mold
When the mold is injection molded, the cold stage temperature directly affects the quality and production efficiency of the injection molded product. Adding the conformal cooling flow channel is the optimization of the complex mold design. If the cooling water path is closer to the mold surface, the accumulated heat in the mold is greatly reduced. And the heat is confined to the area between the cooling water channel and the mold surface to ensure the constant temperature of the injection molded part and improve the life of the mold.
In the figure, the mold conforming to the wall surface is designed according to the shape of the waterway. It has the cooling effect unmatched by the traditional waterway, and the distributed waterway design with balanced distribution provides superior cooling consistency.
Case: Mold Tooling
For parts of complex rod positioners, the complexity of the part means that metal 3D printing has great advantages. Although the parts can be machined in the traditional way, the required welding and assembly can be very complicated. At the same time, metal 3D printing produces such parts faster and is cost effective in the manufacture of disposable molds.
Case: Fixture Fixturing
For most castings, there is a certain degree of speciality. In a fast production environment, the casting process of the casting needs to be checked, and this particularity is solved here in 3D printing. The fixing fixture for the casting is manufactured by 3D printing technology, and the positioning and clamping portions are completely customized.
Second, spare parts Replacement Parts
Case: Connector Engine Fittings
For parts that are not critical, when there is a need to replace the fault, when these parts are not popular, there are not many stocks to choose from, you can consider replacing them by 3D printing, which is fast and low in cost per piece.
The industry has not yet formed a new supply chain to improve the spare parts system through additive manufacturing , but Boeing has applied for a patent. The "virtual inventory" of these parts is managed by a database of their part models. When these parts have problems that need to be replaced, the database sends the part's model to the 3D printer to make it.