Siemens Continuous Composites
Siemens Energy Power Generator.
Continuous Composites has successfully demonstrated its Continuous Fiber 3D Printing (CF3D) technology for Siemens Energy generator components.
As part of a multi-year collaboration, Continuous Composites, Siemens Energy and Arkema developed a thermoset Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) material which enabled the printing of large complex parts that they say could not have been produced using traditional composite techniques.
Typically, the generator components are manufactured using a metal casting process that is considered expensive and has long lead times. In harnessing CF3D and the GFRP material, the partners achieved a 5x reduction in manufacturing costs, brought the lead time down from 8-10 months to 3 weeks, and $1m in long-term downtime energy savings. There was also said to be a significant reduction in part weight and material waste.
Read more: Continuous Composites CEO on showing the world what Continuous Fiber 3D Printing is capable of
Arkema’s GFRP material boasts a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 227°C and experiences minimal strength loss at temperatures above the Tg. It also provides better mechanical performances at higher temperatures, enables topology optimised designs and facilitates dynamic fibre steering to orient anisotropic fibres in the load direction. The CFD printed composites demonstrated Fiber Volume Fractions greater than 50% with less than 1.5% void content.
“The superior mechanical performance of CF3D, combined with the significant cost and lead time reduction, led to our selection of Continuous Composites,” commented Dr Joel Alfano, Principal Technology Development Engineer at Siemens Energy. “The opportunity to replace a metallic generator component with composite materials leveraging AM is a powerful breakthrough for solving the constraints we face in the Energy industry and CF3D technology is making it possible.”
“The deployment of CF3D for manufacturing generator components is one example where our technology is disrupting current manufacturing processes and replacing metallic parts with high-performance composite materials,” added Tyler Alvarado, CEO of Continuous Composites. “Our collaboration with Siemens Energy demonstrates our ability to develop and customise materials solutions with stringent mechanical property requirements which go well beyond the Energy sector.”
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