As a result of our leading-edge experiences with Additive Manufacturing in a range of sectors and applications we are able to offer existing and new clients the benefits of our journey through the 3D Additive Manufacturing Advisory and Training Services.

The 3D Additive Manufacturing Advisory and Training Services are led by our Associate Director Ian Halliday, EngD, MBA, MSc, BSc. 

A programme of support for Additive Manufacturing

We have three modules as a part of our programme of support for businesses seeking to:
(1) improve their understanding of Additive Manufacturing;
(2) build Additive Manufacturing into their business strategies; and
(3) incorporate Additive Manufacturing into their design policies, processes and practices.

These three modules can be delivered together or structured and scheduled depending on the client’s requirements.  Our Advisory and Training services can be organised on a 121 or on a group basis and can be tailored to the specific needs of the client.

Module One: An Introduction to Additive Manufacturing (plastic and metal)

A course covering the essentials of AM.  As the participants will have a range of knowledge levels, the course will go from basics right through to considerations of design for manufacture and production.

This module covers both Plastic and Metal AM, highlighting the new challenges AM presents relative to conventional manufacturing as well as the opportunities that AM offers.

An additional introduction day can be provided for greater depth as required.

This is suitable for both senior management and engineers.  All those likely to be leading or involved in the introduction of AM into the business processes should attend this module.

The key areas covered will include:

• Background to AM
• Principle AM technologies and techniques
• The AM process chain
• Software and Hardware considerations
• Main advantages and disadvantages of AM
• Production AM
• Future developments in AM
• Considerations for AM use and exploitation within your company

At the end of this session participants will go away with an understanding of:

• The range of AM technologies and which might be most applicable
• The key benefits and challenges from AM
• An initial idea of how AM could be used to best effect within the company.

 

Module Two: Developing your Additive Manufacturing Implementation Strategy

This is suitable for businesses looking to set up their own internal capability or simply to take advantage of the benefits that can arise from using AM in their supply chain.

It is aimed primarily at the senior management team who will own and drive the AM implementation strategy, and the managers and engineers who will perform the implementation process.

The Strategy module is comprised of:

• Pre-Workshop to enable the Strategy Workshop days to be shaped to the business needs.
• Workshop one:
  • Quick review of the potential benefits from AM
  • SWOT for the business
  • Internal and External Context for the strategy
  • What aspects of the business, and who, would be involved in introducing/ increasing the use of AM (Content of the strategy and change)
  • Risks, Challenges and Drivers in the introduction process
  • Next steps
• Workshop two:
  • Understanding how AM could benefit the company and product range
  • SWOT review (from Workshop one)
  • Assessment of the most appropriate AM technology/technologies for the business
  • Supply chain options – make vs buy
  • Resources, Finances, timescales for implementing AM
  • Outline AM strategy defined
  • Outline action and time plan
  • Next steps

At the end of these Workshop sessions participants will go away with:

• A clear understanding of how AM can benefit the business and the drivers for change both externally and within the business
• An understanding of the applicable AM technologies and focal points
• An understanding of what parts of the business will be involved in and affected by the introduction of AM and what changes will be needed to maximise the benefits from AM
• What support and resources will be required to implement the AM process chain within the business, and how to drive the changes needed
• A Strategy for AM and an outline plan for implementation

 

Module Three: Design for Additive Manufacturing (plastic and metal) – “DfAM”

This module is primarily for engineers and engineering management.  Senior management involved in AM implementation are encouraged to join.  This module will assume that delegates have a good basic understanding of AM, as covered in the AM introduction module (Module One).

This module will usually involve AM practitioners and manufacturing partners in its delivery.

The workshop will be in the style of a round table discussion and start with some background and basics of design for AM.  The delegates will then work through some parts that have been prepared prior to the workshop.

The DfAM Module will cover:

• Design concepts for AM
• Review of designs & design principles
• Overcoming obstacles to AM introduction

At the end of this session participants will go away with:

• A robust appreciation of the principles of DfAM
• An understanding of the challenges faced in designing and building plastic and metal AM parts, and how to mitigate the risks through design
• An awareness of some key software tools to aid DfAM
• Principles of Design for Production AM
• Next steps for AM design development

 

To arrange a free initial consultation on your advisory or training needs then send an email to enquiries@3D-consultancy.com with your contact details.

There are lots of individual processes which vary in their method of layer or additive manufacturing.

The individual processes will differ depending on the material and machine technology used.

In 2010, the American Society for Testing and Materials formulated a set of standards that classify the range of Additive Manufacturing processes into seven categories, they are:

VAT Photopolymerisation: Vat polymerisation uses a vat of liquid photopolymer resin, out of which the model is constructed layer by layer.

Material Jetting: Material jetting creates objects in a similar method to a two-dimensional ink jet printer. Material is jetted onto a build platform using either a continuous or Drop on Demand (DOD) approach.

Binder Jetting: The binder jetting process uses two materials; a powder-based material and a binder. The binder is usually in liquid form and the build material in powder form. A print head moves horizontally along the x and y axes of the machine and deposits alternating layers of the build material and the binding material.

Material Extrusion: Fuse deposition modelling (FDM) is a common material extrusion process and is trademarked by the company Stratasys. Material is drawn through a nozzle, where it is heated and is then deposited layer by layer. The nozzle can move horizontally and a platform moves up and down vertically after each new layer is deposited.

Powder Bed Fusion: The Powder Bed Fusion process includes the following commonly used printing techniques: Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), Electron beam melting (EBM), Selective heat sintering (SHS), Selective laser melting (SLM) and Selective laser sintering (SLS).

Sheet Lamination: Sheet lamination processes include ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) and laminated object manufacturing (LOM). The Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing process uses sheets or ribbons of metal, which are bound together using ultrasonic welding.

Directed Energy Deposition: Directed Energy Deposition (DED) covers a range of terminology: ‘Laser engineered net shaping, directed light fabrication, direct metal deposition, 3D laser cladding’ It is a more complex printing process commonly used to repair or add additional material to existing components.

The 3D Consultancy enables clients to benefit from the latest design and manufacturing expertise in Additive Manufacturing.

Speciality Materials

The most common materials used in 3D printing are plastics, which can range from high-performance engineering grade like PEEK, or basic like PLA.  Resin is another common material and it is used with SLA printers.  Composites are another category they are created by combining two materials to get the best properties of each.  The last big group of materials is metals which can only printed using industrial machines. The image below showing an assortment of parts manufactured with DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) process.

The most commonly used material in F1 is carbon filled PA.  There are several companies producing this under a variety of trade names. Most F1 teams have their own manufacturing facilities utilising this material to minimise production times.  Some teams even have 3D printing machines that they take to the race circuit to allow parts to be updated and fitted directly to the cars.

There are instances where more specialised materials are required.  The cockpit of an F1 car not only houses the driver, but many other components, including the driver drink system and mandatory fire extinguisher.  Because of the demanding physical nature of driving an F1 car, particularly in hot climates, the driver can lose several kilograms of fluid.

Therefore a drinking system is integrated to allow them to drink while driving (only water or an isotonic drink, of course!).  This involves a suitable fluid reservoir, pump and tubing to feed the drink to their helmet.  The space within the cockpit is very restricted, so the reservoir is often required to conform to the cockpit internal contours.  3D printing again allows a geometry to be created that can optimise the space available.  In this case, however, a food safe material is required and specialist manufacturers are used.

We help clients embrace and exploit new technologies, processes and materials.  If you require assistance in identifying the most appropriate material, technology or process in support of your next project then get in touch for a confidential discussion. Our Carbon SLS service (Datasheet here) provides a multitude of rapid prototype and end use component solutions in and out of the racecar.

Technical Data Sheet for the latest addition to our composite materials catalogue. Parts infiltration service with Dichtol also available to provide enhanced material properties including chemical resistance.

View whole sheet here

Ducting and pipework

The performance of an F1 car is dominated by the efficiency of the aerodynamics.  A large amount of time and resource is spent by F1 teams on optimising the aerodynamic design.  Modern F1 cars are powered by fully hybrid systems that have multiple cooling requirements.  Each F1 car has many fluid coolers, all designed to operate in the temperature range required for the particular system. Obviously, these have to be fed by an internal airflow.  Unfortunately, this is detrimental to the aerodynamic performance of the car and hence is minimised as far as possible.

Because of the extreme packaging and high under-body temperatures, there are also many other components that require an airflow to cool them.  These include the clutch, hydraulic system assemblies, engine throttle operation and control sensors for the gearbox.  This airflow is again detrimental to the performance of the car. It is therefore very important to provide only the amount of air that is absolutely necessary to cool each component and ensure that it is directed correctly.

Carbon fibre composite pipework can be used to provide this ‘auxiliary cooling’ however, for the reasons explained above, it is time consuming and difficult to do this in all cases.  Plus, even using the latest Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques, it is not possible to accurately predict all the flow requirements.  This means that an experimental approach also has to be taken and many cooling components will require change after initial track testing.

3D printed components are therefore extensively used for this application.  They can be quickly produced to suit virtually any geometry and new versions can be created to provide better optimised solutions following testing.  The main limitations are the maximum operating temperature of current materials and of course the weight.

In one of our next insights we’ll will describe an innovative way to resolve the limitations of the 3D printed parts with the use of 3D printed washouts tooling for composites manufacturing.

If you have a requirement for any composite pipework for motorsport applications be it manufacture, design or both please feel free to contact us.

Since introducing PEEK 3D printing to our product range of materials earlier this year we have had many queries. This is typical of what is expected from any new ground-breaking process and technology. It has also been a steep learning curve to understand the limits of the machinery, the materials and the process.  The range for 3D printing geometries are quite narrow and as we learn more and the machine capability increases this will allow us to 3D print more and more complex geometries.

PEEK and PEEK filled variants stand at the very top of the engineering polymers tree in terms of advanced material properties (Please see previous insight for more on the properties and applications) . Material Technical Data Sheets for PEEK are available on request.

https://3d-consultancy.com/advanced-materials-peek/

At the bottom of this insight we have added some FAQ’s for some of the more common queries we have received. We are happy to answer any other’s you may have. Given the early stages of this new 3D printing process and the narrower range of building parts the best way to proceed with an enquiry is to provide us a STEP file with your requirements. This will enable us to fully interrogate the design and the ways we can set up the build to enable it to be built with PEEK. It may be that the design as provided will not build with any direction, or advanced set-up. Or we propose some design changes back to you to allow the part to be built e.g thicken walls or adjust angles to remove the need for supports. We can make those changes or you can revise the design yourself and send it back to us.

Here below is an example of a PEEK tooling block that is typical of the more basic geometries that we can provide. In similar applications previously we would have used ULTEM 1085 which is a material we offer and is used extensively in Aerospace.

PEEK offers further enhanced strength (86 MPa)  and stiffness (3.5 GPa) properties, with Carbon filled PEEK having a very high Heat Deflection Temperature of 280 degrees C. A PEEK tooling block, like this example would be useful for more extended production runs press moulding composite pre-preg, with a PEEK CF version suitable for very high temp moulding of composite parts where only laminated carbon fibre or aluminium tooling would typically be used.

PEEK 3D PRINTING FAQ’s

Are these products available now? – Yes

What is their lead time? – Typically 10-14 working days – to be confirmed at time of order, dependent on geometry and complexity of build.

Can you give me an idea of cost?– We will quote you if you send through drawings/specifications of what you are looking for. Preferred 3D files are .STP format, but we also accept .STL

Can I get samples? – Yes,  if you send through drawings/specifications of what you are looking for and how many we will arrange to get you a sample (there may be a charge for samples we will advise on this when we understand more clearly your requirements)

What is the print resolution for 3D printing these materials?– 50-200 Microns

What is the accuracy/tolerance for 3D printing these materials?– 50 Microns

What is the build envelope for 3D printing these materials?– 500mm x 500mm x 500mm

Are these materials porous, would they hold water?-  Yes, we use a 100% infill of the part and a post-processing annealing of the part which helps to close the residual porosity.

Do you have any CTI values for these materials?  This is important to us for high voltage design– The Comparative Tracking Index for PEEK is 150 V.

What are the material properties out of plane of the build direction?  The parts produced with this technology are anisotropic, the difference between xy and xz is small (some MPa if we talk about tensile strength). In the growth direction z there is a greater loss of mechanical properties due to the layered nature of the part. However, it is not a problem as it is possible to orient the part according to the mechanical stress conditions. In the xy and xz growth directions we can achieve almost the same values as an injection moulded PEEK.

For any other queries or enquiries relating to PEEK or any other advanced material 3d printing please contact us.

The Application of 3D Printed High-Performance Polymers in Motorsport and Formula One

Formula One (F1) and Motorsport Teams exploit 3D printing technology for both the development process and directly for vehicle components. Many 3D printed components are used for the aerodynamic model that is fundamental to the performance development process undertaken in the wind-tunnel. However, this article will focus on the 3D printed components used on the race car itself.

F1 and motorsport teams are well known for exploiting materials to produce lightweight components and structures. They are always quick to exploit new technologies. 3D printed polymer components have been used for many years and laser sintered metallic parts are now also being used. The focus here is on the use of engineering polymer materials, the scope of which has increased as materials and manufacturing techniques have developed.

Carbon fibre composites provide high strength and light weight. F1 teams attempt to use them in the construction of as many vehicle components as possible to minimise vehicle weight. However, there are limitations to this technology. Parts are labour intensive and time consuming to produce, because they require multiple steps involving design, tooling and mould production prior to manufacture of the final part. Some components are particularly difficult or impossible to produce because of their geometry. An alternative is to use 3D printed parts.

Because of the extreme time pressures in F1 and the very compressed development, design and manufacturing schedules, there is often not time to produce carbon fibre composite components for the start of the test and race season. 3D printed components are particularly useful during this time, when they are used for many components that may latterly be substituted for carbon composite versions when time allows.

Examples of these components include bracketry for supporting pipework and electrical components, plus small aerodynamic components such as winglets. There are many bracket type components on a race car that play an important part in ensuring the reliability of the different sub-systems. Because of their number and often complex geometry, resulting from tight packaging constraints, 3D printing is ideally suited to their production. 3D printing also allows aerodynamic components to be introduced to the car in the minimum time-frame, hence gaining a performance advantage as early as possible.

The next article will the explore the ways ducting and pipework applications can be made in lengthy and complex shapes due to tool-less manufacturing with 3D printed processes.

If you have a requirement for bespoke lightweight components for motorsport applications be it manufacture, design or both please feel free to contact us.