¿Por qué Jaguar Land Rover ha optado por la tecnología HP Multi Jet Fusion?

En octubre pasado, el XE SV Project 8 se convirtió en el primer vehículo de producción fabricado por Jaguar Land Rover, que incorporaba múltiples piezas de uso final fabricadas mediante Impresión 3D en el Additive Manufacturing Center (AMC) de la compañía.

Sin embargo, esto no es nada nuevo en absoluto: La marca de vehículos de lujo es una más de las muchas compañías que han incorporado la tecnología HP Multi Jet Fusion para reducir los costes y el desperdicio durante los procesos de fabricación. En palabras de Christopher Noble, ingeniero estratégico de fabricación aditiva en Jaguar Land Rover, “Los dos grandes retos a los que nos hemos venido enfrentando con la Impresión 3D eran siempre la precisión y la repetibilidad. Afortunadamente, la tecnología nos permite ya estar en línea con los estrictos estándares de calidad que demanda la industria automotriz".

Equipado con un motor de gasolina V8 de 5 litros, el Jaguar XE SV Project 8 tiene la mayoría de las piezas impresas en 3D ocultas a la vista, mientras que sólo un puñado puede ser visto por el propietario, como por ejemplo el zócalo para la placa de matrícula en la parte delantera y un par de aletas diseñadas para mejorar la aerodinámica. Segun Christopher Noble, “El XE SV Project 8 es un vehículo ideal para aplicar la Manufactura Aditiva. Por un lado, evita los costes asociados al mecanizado y por otro lado, permite obtener una libertad sin límites a la hora de fabricar ciertas piezas gracias a la libertad de diseño que permite el no tener que depender de una herramienta de mecanizado. La eliminación de herramientas de mecanizado proporciona una mayor libertad geométrica, además de evitar los costes de las herramientas y su inventario. En el futuro, prevemos incrementar la gama de piezas y de recambios que fabricaremos mediante Manufactura Aditiva, a fín de simplificar todos los procesos logísticos internos”.

Noble, junto con sus colegas Freddie Raven, ingeniero estratégico de Manufactura Aditiva, y Ben Wilson, gerente de diseño de prototipos y Manufactura Aditiva, está involucrado en múltiples proyectos para diferentes áreas del negocio y espera ver un crecimiento continuado en las aplicaciones de la Manufactura Aditiva, incluso para los vehículos más convencionales: “Hay 15 ingenieros trabajando en el AMC en una variedad de roles, incluida la programación de la producción de más de 80.000 piezas impresas en 3D cada año. Esto incluye modelos de concepto, prototipos funcionales, utillajes y fijaciones para la línea de montaje, y piezas de uso final. Este equipo es responsable de gestionar toda una cadena de tareas que van desde la caracterización de nuevas tecnologías hasta la formación interna en Manufactura Aditiva. Nuestros clientes exigen la más alta calidad a nuestros vehículos y los beneficios únicos que ofrece la impresión 3D se pueden utilizar para ofrecer un producto de calidad superior. Esperamos una adopción más amplia en proyectos futuros a medida que la tecnología vaya avanzando."

Aerosport Products' R&D Team reduces costs thanks to HP: discover how they do it

Aerosport Products spun off from sister company Aerosport Modeling & Design in 2009 to develop products for experimental aircraft, the first of which was the RV-10 Carbon Fiber Instrument Panel. Aerosport Products’ goals are to continue the traditions of Aerosport Modeling & Design: to deliver innovative products and help experimental aircraft builders by providing high-quality, high-value products to assist them in completing their builds.

Some planes are equipped with small tabs on the control surfaces (e.g., rudder trim tabs, aileron tabs, elevator tabs) so the pilot can make minute adjustments to pitch, yaw, and roll to keep the airplane flying a true, clean line through the air. This improves speed by reducing drag from the larger, constant movements of the full rudder, aileron, and elevator. Many airplanes also have rudder and/or aileron trim systems. On some, the rudder trim tab is rigid but adjustable on the ground by bending: It is angled slightly to the left (when viewed from behind) to lessen the need for the pilot to push the rudder pedal constantly in order to overcome the left-turning tendencies of many propdriven aircraft. Some aircrafts have hinged rudder trim tabs that the pilot can adjust in flight. When a servo tab is employed, it is moved into the slipstream opposite of the control surface’s desired deflection. For example, in order to trim an elevator to hold the nose down, the elevator’s trim tab will actually rise up into the slipstream.

Aerosport Modeling redesigned the rudder trim system to reduce the need to manufacture different parts and to shorten the assembly time. They converted the entire system from a machined and standard assembly of 26 parts to a four-part assembly that is 3D printed on demand without the need to buy or machine long-run productions of each metallic part. This rudder trim system is a spring bias system that holds the entire rudder surface to the right or left and still allows for complete movement.

Material:  HP 3D HR PA 12

Post-processing: Bead blasting and then Dyed in black

Method X for printing end of arm effectors

All Axis Robotics is a Dallas, Texas-based machine shop and a leader in turnkey custom robot solutions for other machine shops and manufacturing facilities in need of automated machine tending.

Customers enlist the expertise of All Axis Robotics’ mechanical and manufacturing engineers to streamline their manufacturing operations with robotic arms and custom end-effectors including those for CNC machine tending, automated part sanding, and brake press machine tending, among others.

All Axis engineers designed and manufactured a custom dual-grit robot sander attachment in under two weeks using a MakerBot METHOD X 3D printer with strong and durable real ABS material. The robot sander automates the time-consuming manual aluminum sanding operation, helping a machine shop to run more efficiently by freeing up personnel for other tasks.

It features two sides with different grid sand pads as well as a connection for a vacuum to remove debris.

Key points

• Tooling for robotic arms requires tight tolerances close to (± 0.2 mm) (±0.007 in) and hole cylindricity for optimal fit and function.

• Large overhangs, carve-outs, and other complex part features are near-impossible to machine, requiring Stratasys® SR-30 soluble support material.

• All Axis was able to create their part using production-grade ABS.

All Axis process

The engineering team at All Axis used METHOD X to produce custom tooling with approximately 10 minutes of labor time and at an operational cost of $110—compared to 24 hours of labor time at an operational cost of $3,600 with an in-house CNC machine.

This ability to create custom solutions for customers—combined with rapid turnaround times—has helped All Axis gain a competitive advantage against competitors as more manufacturing facilities upgrade new and legacy equipment to meet the increasing demands of Industry 4.0 and the modern global marketplace.

All Axis and Makerbot Method

By producing the part with an in-house METHOD 3D printer, the team was able to eliminate undesirable factors typical of traditional manufacturing processes, including expensive machinist time and material costs.

And by approaching the part design through the lens of freeform additive manufacturing, the engineers were able to 3D model the part quickly without having to account for complex assembly considerations typical of traditional manufacturing processes.

The ability to print with soluble Stratasys® SR-30 supports allowed the engineers to design the sander as one complex part, which would’ve been impossible to machine. METHOD’s dimensional accuracy ensured that the part mated perfectly with the robot arm on the first try.

The use of production-grade Real ABS printed in a heated chamber produced a very strong and durable tool that is built to last.

DSM, Royal Haskoning DHV and CEAD design first lightweight 3D-printed bridge protoype using FRP

Netherlands-based Royal Haskoning DHV, CEAD and DSM have announced that they’ve partnered to design the world’s first lightweight, 3D-printed FRP pedestrian bridge prototype using a composite material that consists of a glass-filled thermoplastic PET (Arnite), and is combined with continuous glass fibres that are added in the 3D Printing process. 

Read more:

https://graphicartsmag.com/3d-printing/2019/09/dsm-royal-haskoningdhv-and-cead-design-first-lightweight-3d-printed-bridge-protoype-using-frp/

3D Printing at InPrint Munich 2019

From November 12 to 14, InPrint Munich 2019, the international trade fair of printing technology for industrial manufacturing, will present some of the most innovative technologies and various approaches to successfully integrate printing applications into the manufacture of industrial and industrial products.

Held at the Munich Exhibition Center, InPrint Munich will allow visitors to meet some of the most innovative printing technology providers and enjoy a complete conference program. In the new advisory corner, independent experts will offer visitors free and impartial advice on the integration of printing solutions in their specific production environments.

At InPrint, about 120 exhibiting companies from 15 countries will participate, all of them presenting the most innovative advances in screen printing and digital printing, inkjet and specialized in various forms and materials, including flat or curved plastic, wood, metallic paper, fabrics, glass, ceramic and metal. The equipment and services exhibited at the fair have been specifically developed to facilitate, in a cost-effective and efficient way, a conversion and individualization of industrial and consumer products such as automotive parts, printed electronic components, packaging, beverage bottles , food packaging, fashion, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, as well as the decorative finishing of floors, tiles, interior decoration and furniture.

“Printing technology has evolved to solve complex and rapidly changing manufacturing issues, such as responding to the demand of consumers who demand customized products, faster and better, along with a reduction in manufacturing costs and environmental impact. There is a constant need to adapt to market conditions and, in this sense, manufacturing sector executives do the impossible to keep abreast of new technologies and how to apply them in their existing infrastructure” says Nicola Hamann, general director of the organizing company Mack Brooks Exhibitions. From more efficient inks, printheads and software, to important advances in metrology, drying procedures and robotics: print technology providers have been moving towards increasingly intelligent and powerful printing solutions, specifically designed to improve and even transform production processes in industrial manufacturing.

InPrint Munich 2019 visitors will be able to meet some of the most innovative and committed printing technology providers, as well as watch impressive live demonstrations of the machines, equipment and systems on display. Together with an extensive training program with technical lectures and presentations and a new proposal called the "advisory corner", InPrint Munich will allow industry specialists to make better business decisions more quickly when it comes to choosing suppliers and optimal printing technologies, and get interesting ideas for your business to keep moving forward. Marcus Timson, co-founder of InPrint and director of Future Print, a content platform dedicated to the development of new printing technology, explains the proposal for the new advice corner at this year's event: “Visitors attending InPrint 2019 will be able to speak with experts in the advice corner about their ideas and the challenges they face in their industrial printing projects. The advisors form an important part of the inkjet community as they offer an independent and flexible resource with experience. An independent perspective of the industrial printing scenario is incredibly useful when choosing technologies well ”.

Appointments for the advice corner can be booked in advance through the InPrint Munich website: www.inprintmunich.com. The counseling service is free for registered visitors and reservations for this space will be made strictly by order of arrival. Simultaneously with the exhibition, two special scenarios will take place: the 3-day conference program that will cover a wide range of topics, and sessions where the challenges and opportunities for printing technology in industrial production processes will be addressed. More than 60 internationally renowned speakers from different fields of the manufacturing and printing technology sector will present new technical approaches and how to apply them in existing infrastructures. Through case studies, technical talks and expert discussions, they will guide visitors through the steps necessary to successfully implement new printing technologies in manufacturing (from choosing the best inks, printheads and software tools, to optimizing the integration of machines and processes), analyzing the pros and cons of the different approaches. Highlights include a series of talks on printhead technology from leading manufacturers and technical sessions on: exploring the potential of integrating inkjet technology with robotics; various types of inks and their specific applications; ink drying technologies such as UV, IR and eBeam; technological options for printed electronic components; 3D Printing for the aerospace and automotive sectors; modern metrology and process optimization; and best practices for the effective integration of machines. Several case studies provide deeper insight into how to successfully implement printing technology in various industrial applications, including label printing, packaging and security.

Among the confirmed speakers are the representatives of Agfa NV, AUDI AG, BASF, Bosch GmbH, Bundesdruckerei GmbH, ColorGATE Digital Output Solutions, Cyan Tec Systems Limited, Fujifilm Dimatix Inc., Global Inkjet Systems Ltd, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, Hymmen GmbH, ImageXpert Inc, Imerys Minerals Ltd, MABI Robotic AG, NTS-Group, Profactor GmbH, Relyon Plasma GmbH, Seiko Instruments GmbH, The University of Sheffield, TU Dresden and many others. With the sponsorship of Xaar plc and presented by Werner Zapka, WZA-Consulting, the conference sessions take place during the fair in the form of open sessions and are free for all registered visitors and exhibitors, allowing easy access to interesting discussions and great opportunities to make contact. At www.inprintmunich.com, the exhibition website, the full conference program and periodic updates will be published. InPrint Munich will be held from November 12 to 14, 2019 at the Munich Exhibition Center (Germany). The exhibition, the conference rooms and the advice corner are located in Hall A6, which is accessed through the East Entrance (Eingang Öst) of the Munich Exhibition Center. The opening hours of the three days of the fair are from 09.00 to 17.00. The advance sale of tickets online is now available at a special price through the website www.inprintmunich.com of InPrint Munich. Alternatively, tickets can be purchased at their official price directly on the premises during the three days of the fair. The InPrint Munich website offers detailed information about the exhibitors, the conference program, videos and useful information about travel and accommodation.

Webinar gratuito sobre Makerbot Method

12 meses después del lanzamiento de la primera Method, MakerBot lanzar al mercado la nueva Method X, capaz de imprimir piezas en ABS . 

En este webinar le mostraremos:

Novedades familia MakerBot: Nueva Method X

Qué Impresoras 3D forman la familia MakerBot.

Qué diferencia hay entre ellas (Comparativa familia MakerBot).

Usos y aplicaciones de los diferentes modelos MakerBot.

Materiales de impresión

Qué impresora se adapta mejor a cada situación.

Cómo saber cuál es la impresora que su negocio necesita.

Este webinar está dirigido a todos aquellos profesionales que estén interesados en la fabricación aditiva a pequeña escala y que quieran descubrir qué alternativa es la mejor para su producto, proyecto, departamento, negocio, etc.

HORARIO

Día: 13 de septiembre

Hora: 10:00-11:00

TOTALMENTE GRATUITO

Enlace para inscribirse:

https://integralplm.com/webinars/familia-impresoras-3d-makerbot/#contacto

Lights-out digital manufacturing delivers first 3D printed electronics

Additive electronics provider Nano Dimension Ltd. has unveiled its new DragonFly Lights-Out Digital Manufacturing (LDM) printing technology, which the company presents as the industry’s only comprehensive additive manufacturing platform for round-the-clock 3D printing of electronic circuitry.

(Read more...)