ExOne and BMW have revealed how the latter is utilizing the previous’s binder jet 3D printing know-how.
Having labored collectively since 2002, BMW operates 4 of ExOne’s Exerial sand 3D printers, with two further ExOne machines slated for set up sooner or later.
BMW runs the machines at its Landshut Gentle Metallic Foundry, which is the automotive firm’s largest plant for casted elements with greater than 3 million components, akin to cylinder heads, manufactured yearly. This facility is taken into account a lightweighting centre of excellence because of the concentrate on intelligently designing elements for efficiency and gasoline effectivity.
On the Landshut facility, BMW depends on ExOne’s binder jet know-how for the ultimate manufacturing of 6-cylinder water jacket cores for the B58 engines which can be utilized in its M3 and M4 Collection of automobiles. Within the manufacturing course of for these elements, ExOne’s Exerial printers are used to supply complicated cores, with BMW utilizing an inorganic binder that’s mentioned to not emit odour or emissions through the steel casting course of. As soon as the cores are printed, molten aluminium is injected into the instruments, with the ultimate hardened half assembly BMW’s necessities.
“The ultimate product delivered with our digital manufacturing course of is a complicated and trusted mix of outdated and new applied sciences that lays the blueprint for a brand new manufacturing future,” commented Eric Bader, Managing Director of ExOne, a Desktop Metallic firm. “Collectively, BMW and ExOne are demonstrating how binder jet 3D printing can be utilized for sustainable serial manufacturing with much less waste, extra clever design and nearly no emissions.”
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