GKN Driveline expands deployment of 3D Printing solutions

‘As we continue to design parts specifically for additive manufacturing, we are finding more and more applications that are delivering value. In the future, I believe that FDM 3D printing will become an integral part of our entire tool development cycle and help us further improve business performance.’ says Carlo Cavallini, GKN lead process engineer.

GKN Driveline —an UK-based, multi-national driveline components supplier and division of global engineering company GKN— is expanding deployment of Stratasys 3D printing solutions at its plant in Florence, Italy, thus replacing several traditional manufacturing processes. GKN Driveline serves over 90 percent of automotive manufacturers globally, including the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Group as well as Ferrari and Maserati. Customer lead times are continuing to shorten and the plant in Florence identified several applications that 3D printing could be used for, facilitating an overall increase in productivity.

‘The ability to quickly 3D print tools and parts that are customized to a specific production need gives us a new level of flexibility and significantly reduces our supply chain,’ adds Cavallini, also team leader at the plant. ‘Considering that we produce several thousand, individual parts a week, this ability to manufacture on-demand is crucial to ensuring our production line is always operational and maintains business continuity.' The plant’s factory floor team is using the Fortus 450mc to produce complex assembly tools for the production line in almost 70 percent less time than it takes using traditional methods. This, in turn, has enabled the team to undertake feasibility analyses of the tools and start using them more quickly, therefore accelerating the overall production schedule.

The team also managed to print a bespoke end-of-arm tool that moves individual components from one point of the assembly line to the next. It is made from ULTEM 9085 high-performance 3D printing material and can therefore endure prolonged use, said to equal that of a like-for-like metal component. A number of 3D printed end-of-arm tools are now in use across production, significantly reducing production downtime. 3D printing is also being used to produce customized, on-demand replacement parts for manufacturing equipment. For instance, the team recently printed a missing cable bracket for a robot, saving a week on the time it would have taken for a supplier to deliver it and consequently accelerating the delivery of parts to customers.

UAVs con electrónica embebida

¿Es posible fabricar un UAV mediante Impresión 3D... y que lleve embebida la electrónica? La respuesta es SÍ, SIN DUDA.

El reto lo ha protagonizado Phillip Keane, estudiante de la Universidad Tecnológica de Nanyang (Singapur), quien ha diseñado y fabricado un UAV con material Ultem 9085, utilizando para ello un sistema de producción 3D Fortus 450mc. Aunque se trataba sólo de un prototipo, el reto demostró la posibilidad de llevar a cabo una fabricación automatizada de UAVs complejos y funcionales mediante impresión 3D.

AirDog: The first 3D-printed action sports UAV

Aimed primarily at the consumer market, AirDog is an innovative, yet simple-to-use, ‘quad-copter’ that operates via a wrist-worn tracking device and accommodates a standard GoPro sports camera.

“Airdog is a perfect example of how 3D printing is an enabler for inventors looking to turn their ideas into fully-operational parts quickly and effectively,” said Andy Middleton, Senior Vice President and General Manager EMEA at Stratasys. “In this case, both our core 3D printing technologies have proved instrumental in producing a fully-functional drone and wrist device. With the exception of the advanced sensor technology, both parts have been created entirely using 3D printing.”

“AirDog not only grants end-users their own affordable and personal aerial video crew, but goes one step further in providing thrilling footage from distances and angles previously inaccessible to such consumers,” said Edgars Rozentals, Co-founder and CEO of the Latvia-based, Helico Aerospace Industries. Helico is specifically targeting the outdoor ‘extreme’ sports market and expects AirDog to be of particular interest to recreational participants of freestyle BMX, motocross and skateboarding, as well as water-sports such as surfing, kite-surfing and wake-boarding.

Prior to investigating the use of 3D printed parts, Rozentals was trying silicon-molded designs through a supplier in China. But finally “The benefits delivered by 3D printing compared to the method we trialled originally are numerous,” said Rozentals. “Above all, turnaround time is significantly reduced and if we need to make last minute changes to a design, we can do so within a matter of hours, easily and cost-effectively. This was simply unachievable before as it necessitated time-consuming production of a costly new mold. In fact, I’m not sure how we would have arrived at the stage of having a functional part, were it not for Stratasys 3D printing technology. I founded the company two years ago and we’re a staff of three, so for start-ups like Helico, this technology isn’t just a game-changer, but the ticket to the game itself,” he said.

The company sought the expertise of Stratasys’ Latvian partner, Baltic3D, who also worked with Polish reseller Bibus Menos to meet the requirements outlined by Helico’s team. The final AirDog drone was fully 3D printed using Stratasys’ FDM-based ULTEM material, chosen for its ability to provide parts of extreme strength and durability, with the lightweight characteristics vital for take-off and in-flight manoeuvrability. “We were particularly impressed by how far we could push the boundaries of the ULTEM material,” added Rozentals. “The material’s functional stability enabled us to print very thin walls that further reduced AirDog’s overall weight.” To produce fully-functional parts that could perform in the real environment, both Stratasys’ FDM and PolyJet 3D printing technologies were used for AirDog and its AirLeash tracking device, respectively.

FDM Telescoping Wing UAV

Engineers at MIT Lincoln Laboratory (Cambridge, MA) 3D printed (FDM technology on a Fortus 400mc) a UAV with telescoping wings made of Ultem 9085.

Structure was primarily FDM except for a carbon fiber backbone that all the parts were attached to. Designed to be highly modular, the aircraft was essentially 3 reconfigurable pieces: the fuselage pod on the front with the avionics and batteries, the wings, and the empennage.

To adjust the CG for different payloads all the parts can be moved around. The wings are printed without support material (an option only available with Fortus 3D Production Systems) with an internal structure that made them pretty strong (see above video). 

UAVs Manufactured On the Fly

UAV Solutions Inc. in Jessup, Maryland, specializes in UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and UAV control systems.

The video above includes a flight demonstration of a UAV that was manufactured using Stratasys Fortus 400mc Production Systems. Typical applications of this vehicle include use by police departments, fire departments, and other emergency first responders, as well as military applications. According to company CEO Bill Davidson, when the company bought their first Stratasys 3D Printer, they thought that it was an impressive technology – but they didn’t really understand all that it could do.

While they originally figured they would use it to produce little prototypes or giveaways for their customers, FDM-based (Fused Deposition Modeling) 3D printing has now “crept” into every aspect of their manufacturing process. In particular, they found that the ULTEM™ 9085 resin material is particularly well-suited to aviation applications.

As flame retardant high performance material, ULTEM exhibits a high strength-to-weight ratio and FST (flame, smoke, and toxicity) rating which make it an excellent choice for the commercial transportation industry – especially aerospace, marine and ground vehicles. The FDM-based manufacturing process allows UAV Solutions to very rapidly make changes to the avionic structures, thereby enabling them to meet the high performance and precise demands of their customers. In fact, Davidson states that using the ULTEM 9085 allows them to manufacture components that could not be made with standard milling procedures.

EADS subsidiary flies to Stratasys

 

Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS), a leading manufacturer of 3D printers and production systems for prototyping and manufacturing, has announced that remote control systems manufacturer, Survey Copter, is successfully using its 3D printing technology to produce prototype and short-run component parts for mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems, also known as drones.

 

 

France-based Survey Copter, a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. (EADS), specializes in the design, production and integration of complete remote systems for surveillance photography and video service applications for UAVs and other airborne craft, as well as for sea and overland vehicles.

 

 

Having previously outsourced its prototyping requirements, Survey Copter turned to Stratasys for an in-house solution that could reduce costs and ensure greater efficiency and autonomy, granting the company the means to rapidly produce very small quantities within 24 hours. Via Stratasys' French distributor, CADvision, Survey Copter subsequently installed two 3D printing solutions - a Stratasys Dimension Elite 3D Printer and Stratasys Fortus 400mc 3D Production System, which offers nine production-grade engineering thermoplastics using Stratasys' patented Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology.

 

"Effectively meeting our 3D printing needs can only be achieved via machines that are capable of producing quality parts with high reliability," explains Jean Marc Masenelli, managing director, Survey Copter. "Stratasys' reputation for delivering 3D printers that meet these criteria head-on made them the logical company to partner with."

 

 

 

 

 

Spearheading Survey Copter's prototyping and short-run manufacturing activities, the Stratasys Fortus 400mc and Dimension Elite 3D Printers are deployed in the production of component parts for the company's mini-UAV systems, including both helicopter and fixed-wing variants weighing up to 30kg and 10kg respectively. Ranging from a few millimetres up to parts measuring 40cm x 10cm, these components comprise mechanical structures for optical turrets, structural elements of aircraft, battery compartment housing, supporting structure, as well as scale models.

 

 

High Performance Materials Engineered for Aerospace

 

For Masenelli, the ability to utilise different materials according to specific application needs offers key advantages for producing durable 3D printed parts. Such materials include FDM thermoplastics polycarbonate, ABS and high performance ULTEM 9085 which boasts superior strength and lightweight properties, as well as other desirable characteristics including FST (flame, smoke and toxicity) rating. This safety standard, particularly valued within the aerospace and transportation industries, ensures a material won't promote a fire, release harmful smoke, or emit toxic fumes.

 

"That we are able to print production-grade materials such as high-performance FDM thermoplastics like ULTEM, which is qualified for aerospace applications, is a definite plus for our operations," he explains.

 

"The Stratasys 3D Printer can produce parts with complex shapes - for us a highly sought after requirement and a principle differentiator that sets Stratasys' proposition apart from that of other providers," he adds. "This specific capability enables us to produce parts of wide-ranging dimensions and hollow forms, as well as full honeycomb structures."

 

 

Featuring two material bays for maximum uninterrupted production, the Stratasys Fortus 400mc 3D Production System produces accurate, durable, repeatable 3D parts with superior throughput. It is available in two configurations: the basic system which builds parts as large as 355 x 254 x 254 mm, and an optionally upgraded system which builds parts as large as 406 x 355 x 406 mm. With four layer thicknesses to choose from, users can fine-tune their desired balance between FDM's finest possible feature detail and the fastest build.

 

 

The Stratasys Dimension Elite 3D Printer features the finest resolution of any Stratasys Design Series Performance 3D Printers and produces nine colors of real ABSplus thermoplastic. When the finest dimension resolution of 0.178 mm is not required, the Dimension Elite allows users to accelerate printing with a layer thickness of 0.33 mm.

 

Stratasys/CADvision will be exhibiting at the forthcoming Paris Air Show (17^th - 23^rd June, Paris, France) on stand 3-E54.