With the aim of publicizing additive manufacturing technology and 3D printing and the real possibilities of its industrial application, this section collects success stories from companies associated with ADDIMAT in different sectors.
Sector: Automotion
Challenge: The objective is to demonstrate that the intake manifold manufactured in SLS achieves the same performance; for tolerances and resistance compared to its injection counterpart.
Solution: Solve the challenges associated with AM technology: orientation-dependent material properties, distortion compensation, and structural integrity.
Sector: Aeroespacial and biomedical
Challenge: The challenge of the project is to improve the fatigue life of the SLM Ti-6Al-4V alloy post-processed by HIP at 850ºC / 200 MPa and using a fast-cooling technology.
Solution: Through this HIP post-processing, a good densification of the material and a fatigue life similar to that of the reference material were achieved.
Sector: Biomedical
Challenge: Design and manufacture of a cosmetic cover for a transtibial prosthesis for a a fencing player.
Solution: Design and manufacture of a personalized cosmetic cover for a 2 mm transtibial prosthesis. thick, 300 gr. weight and coupled by neodymium magnets.
Sector: Energy
Challenge: The challenge of the project is to obtain two impellers using additive manufacturing technology, to reduce manufacturing time.
Solution: Indirect manufacturing was chosen using sand molds obtained by 3D printing in binder jetting technology and later casting.
Sector: Biomedical
Challenge: Replicate a medical device for the diagnosis of force in the fingers of the hand using FDM 3D printing maintains its functionality.
Solution: Integration of piezoresistive sensors through a dual extruder 3D printer and strain gauge integration in the printing process to validate the printed sensor.
Sector: Naval
Challenge: Many of the electrical elements that are exposed to the elements in a ship are made of naval bronze or brass. They are equipment with a high price.
Solution: Use FA technologies to change the original brass parts for others made of polymeric material. Here we present one of the cases studied, a lamp.
Sector: Biomedical
Challenge: Seeking a solution for a defective batch of a medical lighting fixture, specifically, replacing a joint in a joint.
Solution: Thanks to Markforged’s technology, Onyx plus continuous fiber reinforcement, it is possible to successfully replace the defective washer without disassembling the equipment.
Sector: Equipment goods
Challenge: The original nozzle (metal) had operational issues due to the high working temperature and projection of slag particles.
Solution: Additive manufacturing using LCM technology for ceramic materials is used to produce a redesigned version of nozzle in alumina.
Sector: Equipment goods
Challenge: Gurutzpe manufactures large horizontal lathes and has customers all over the world. Exhibiting these machines at multiple international fairs has great difficulties.
Solution: The manufacture by means of 3D technologies of scale models of these equipments has allowed the models of its range that have interested them most to be exhibited at each fair.
Sector: Automotive
Challenge: Vans for special groups with exterior labeling and installation of specialized interior integrated equipment (anchors on the floor and interior pillars)
Solution: The solution they found was the use of PoKa-Yoke tools
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Sector: Electronics
Challenge: Undo Prototipos together with Hop Ubiquitous have undertaken the objective of creating a equipment for enviromental analysis for Smart Cities
Solution: Using additive manufacturing technollogies, the design, simulation, analysis and manufacture of functional equipment for housing outdoor enviromental sensors have been carried out
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Sector: Aeronautics
Challenge: Manufacture of a medium-sized demonstrator using WAAM, identifying the key aspects to be taken into account in the manufacture of this type of parts
Solution: The solution has consisted of manufacturing a three-piece series based on previous experience and following the phases of design, manufacture and improvement
Sector: Biomedical
Challenge: Additive manufacturing vs. traditional manufacturing of an orthotic device
Solution: Scanning, design and manufacturing of the device using Multi Jet Fusion technology
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Sector: Sports industry
Challenge: HEXR is a company located in London which manufactures customized helmets for cyclists and was looking to expand its business to other sports where helmets are also needed.
Solution: Because the customer’s virtual head is already stored at HEXR, more helmets for other sports can be ordered in the future without having to do another scan.
Sector: Transformation of plastics and composites
Challenge: Apply low-cost thermoplastics 3D extrusion printing to obtain molding polymeric composite tools
Solution: Increase the printed parts functionality though optimizing the printed materials composition, the variables and applying posttreatments to obtain hybrid structures.
Sector: aeroespace
Reto: increase the competitiveness by reducing the time, cost and material waste of traditional composite molding.
Solución: the use of additive manufacturing slashed the production lead- time on the preform tool and also expedited the whole traditional composite molding process.
Sector: metalworking
Reto: efficient and automatic finishing of hard-to-reach internal passages that previously could not be processed or required a high degree of manual labor.
Solución: development of the M3 system, which allows the effective and specific treatment of internal passages with a fully automated system for 3D printed components.
Sector: metalworking
Reto: Rosswag Engineering innovates optimized metallic parts with incredibly intricate internal structures and complex shapes.
Solución: leveraging ANSYS ADDITIVE PRINT, Rosswag engineers determine strain prior to printing to eliminate distortion, stress and blade crashes, and reduce the number of builds.
Sector: Automotion
Challenge: To develop a light and robust solution for the gripping, handling and placement of the lenses in the hot stamping and assembling process using a cobot.
Solution: Generative design of an integrated lightweight tool and manufactured in polymer with MJF additive technology for use with cobots.
Sector: Metalworking
Challenge: To reduce the weight of the tool used to tighten a longitudinal steel-cutting shaft. The aim was to reduce the weight by 50%.
Solution: Material was hollowed and removed to improve the ergonomics of a tool that, in this case, is handled manually.
Sector: Automotive
Challenge: Within the framework of the European PARADDISE project, the Michelin company proposed the recovery of damaged rubber extrusion spindles.
Solution: The proposed solution consisted in coating the damaged areas of the extrusion spindle using laser cladding technology.
Sector: Railway
Challenge: The challenge is to introduce additive manufacturing at a competitive price and with the added value of design.
Solution: Parts capable of being manufactured by AM have been detected in the project phase, as well as their economic feasibility versus traditional manufacturing.
Sector: Consumer Goods
Challenge: To obtain a plastic with electrical conductivity to replace metal in applications where freedom of design and lightweight properties are essential requirements.
Solution: Selection of materials, load distribution and optimisation of processing conditions are key to obtaining a compound with surface electrical conductivity.
Sector: Moulds & Dies
Challenge: The customer needed to improve productivity of a plastic cap injection mould with 8 cavities.
Solution: A new design was made for the heating/cooling channels inside the insert to improve the injection cycle.
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Sector: Metalwoking
Challenge: Create innovative cutting tools using metal additive manufacturing technology.
Solution: Metal 3D printing technology to produce maraging steel screw-in milling cutters in one build.
Sector: Energy
Challenge: Combustor parts are complexdesign, high-temperature, performance-critical, long-lead items, critical to increase gas turbine performance and to meet environmental regulations.
Solution: Siemens redesigned a combustor´s swirler assembly by integrating components into a single AM design, and assured reliable serial production.
Sector: Moulds & Dies
Challenge: Increase productivity of existing injection moulding equipment.
Solution: Mould designs incorporating conformal cooling with additively manufactured inserts in maraging steel.
Sector: Aerospace
Challenge: Development of new flow control actuators (FCA) with innovative aeronautical designs to improve fluid flow in future UHBR engines.
Solution:SLM manufacturing of flow control actuators with optimised and complex designs, to be installed in areas with reduced dimensions of aircraft with high-efficiency engines.
Sector: Heavy industry
Challenge: Reduce cost and increase reliability of the production of the sliding case component of a down-the-hole (DTH) hammer.
Solution: Using additive manufacturing to reduce the number of component parts in maraging steel which is more resistant to pitting corrosion.
Sector: Automotive
Challenge: Substantial weight reduction, fewer components, fewer assembly steps and integrated pedestrian protection for a cover hinge made using additive metal manufacturing.
Solution: The distortions were simulated to reduce the number of testing steps. Thanks to countermeasures applied to compensate for deformation, part production times were reduced while meeting the quality goals.
Sector: Moulding
Challenge: Design and manufacture of a mould to shape PA12 tubes, thereby optimising the manufacturing process, facilitating assembly by the worker, reducing costs and delivery times.
Solution:Manufacture of a mould made of AISI 316L stainless steel, printed in parts using SLM technology and welded after manufacture.
Sector: Consumer goods
Challenge: Additive manufacturing and 3D printing versus traditional milling with CNC to develop industrial prototypes of shoe soles.
Solution: Use of 3D printing as a more efficient alternative to manufacture sole prototypes, thereby reducing costs and time.
Sector: Consumer goods
Challenge: HP intended to make a new painting robot that is more accurate and sustainable than those that already exist on the market.
Solution: To make a painting machine with the best functionalities and compact systems requires designing parts that are smaller, lighter and with more complex shapes, made possible by additive manufacturing.
Sector: Science
Challenge: Additive versus conventional manufacturing of a kit of 316L steel spacers for superconductor magnets. Technical and economic feasibility analysis.
Solution: The customer found a clear opportunity to improve processes and opted for additive manufacturing of these kits, which were previously manufactured by machining.
Sector: Medical
Challenge: To design and manufacture a customised orthesis to improve the ergonomics of the current health product. To prolong its use during treatment and thereby reduce the pain.
Solution: An alternative orthesis adapted to each patient with rhizarthrosis. A customised ergonomic design that is lightweight and manufactured in biocompatible material.
Sector: Consumer goods
Challenge: Using 3D printing techniques to manufacture shoe trees and avoid current subtractive manufacturing techniques.
Solution: Introduction of 3D printing techniques in shoe factories to produce shoe trees for samples, thereby reducing costs and time.