After almost 90 years broke the gear on the mill at the research institute Swerea. Thanks to a 3D printer researchers could fabricate a new one.
Workshop hall at Swerea in Kista outside Stockholm is full of metal forming machinery. An old friend is a mill from the 1920s. But when one of the gears broke, it became a problem. How would you get a new one?
– We sat down and brainstormed over lunch and realized that we could use a 3D printer, said Alexander Angré, a researcher at the institute.
Said and done. The broken gear sent to colleagues in Jönköping where since last fall is a 3D printer molds of sand.
The first step was to scan the old gear to get a CAD model. After adding the shrinkage and machining allowances as printed 3D printer prints a mold.
– The printing went on for half an hour, says research engineer Stone Farre.
With the help of the form it went then casting the new gear. The original was made of gray but this time it was a ductile iron.
After the teeth were machined gear were sent to Kista. New Technology was present when it was put in place.
The Mechanic Chris Eggertson hit it in the right position on the shaft with a rubber mallet. So it’s time to test. He presses the start button and everything works just as it should. A piece of aluminum is about three times as long for some laps between rolls.
According to Stone Farre is a rapidly growing interest in the industry to use engångsgjutformar in sand, both for prototypes and for mass production.
– for shorter series is an alternative to expensive tools. Additionally, you can at any time make changes in the mold by changing the CAD model.
Swerea also work with a mission where technology is used to manufacture a replacement part that is no longer possible to get in. This time, it is an engine block of a car from in 1929.
Do you have a great way to use 3D printers? Write to us and tell us!
No comments:
Post a Comment