Aluminium engine block model 3D printed in 6061.
Continuing it's mission to make 2021 "the year of binder jet", Ford Motor Company and ExOne have announced a “breakthrough” in binder jet 3D printing for the automotive industry following a successful collaboration to develop a process for the binding and sintering of 6061 aluminium parts.
The patent-pending process is said to deliver properties comparable to that of die casting with high densities greater than 99 percent and is expected to “increase Ford’s efficiency” by taking advantage of binder jet’s speed along with the part complexities, weight and part count reductions afforded by additive manufacturing. Both companies are set to file collaborative and individual patents from the project.
“This is a breakthrough in making 3D printed and sintered parts for the auto industry,” said Harold Sears, Ford technical leader for additive manufacturing. “While the 3D-printing process is very different than stamping body panels, we understand the behaviour of aluminium better today, as well as its value in light-weighting vehicles. High-speed aluminium 3D printing paves the way for other opportunities that we’re just now starting to take a look at because of the ability to do complex parts with aluminium that previously weren’t possible. It’s really opening doors for other opportunities.”
The project has been in the works since 2019 with Ford taking the lead on final material and repeatability testing while a joint Ford-ExOne team has been working on specific designs for the new process. The automotive leader has been using ExOne’s technology for some time and was an early adopter of ExOne’s sand 3D printers back in the early 2000s. Today, Ford is said to house a number of ExOne systems at its Advanced Manufacturing Center in Michigan and UK-based facility.
“Developing a fast, affordable, and easy way to 3D print aluminium with traditional material properties is a critical step toward light-weighting more products and delivering a more sustainable future,” said John Hartner, ExOne CEO. “Our world-class engineers and scientists are focused on solving the toughest problems with 3D printing technology, and this achievement is a real win for all of us.”
ExOne's announcement of an aluminium 6061 binder jet material follows Desktop Metal's own launch of an aluminium 6061 powder in partnership with Uniformity Labs earlier this week.
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