
Project – Rapid Manufacturing of Lightweight Metal Components
The project is completed.
Rapid Manufacturing (RM) is the production of objects in various materials directly from a SD CAD file. RM is a so-called Layer Additive Process, which means that the items are constructed with micrometer thin layers. Furthermore, the items are produced directly for the end-user.
The Centre for Product Development is collaborating with a number of companies and institutes in the EU Project, CompoLight, to develop RM from light metal items. The project will concentrate on three lightweight types: items with interior canals, items with cavities and porous items.
Many of the challenges which RM faces today using metal components, will also be addressed by the project, resulting in a general improvement of design, production and quality of RM metal items. Furthermore, the project will improve the competitiveness of European small and medium-sized companies using RM in their production.
Project Objectives
- Gain new knowledge about light metal items produced via RM.
- Make it easier for the customer to include the concept of RM in production.
- Increase the use of RM for certain products in the industry.
- Reduce the time it takes for a product to reach the market.
- Reduce the costs and error output related to RM.
Participants
- MB Proto
- Euro Heat Pipe - www.ehp.be
- Flying Cam
- Hydrauvision - www.hydrauvision.com
- Marcam Engineering - www.marcam.de
- SITEX 45
- FJ Industries
- Fraunhofer IFAM
- SIRRIS – www.sirris.be
- TNO Science & Industry
Activities
The project will reach its objectives through
- Setting up rules of design to aid product designers.
- Setting up guidelines and simulation software that can support the end-user’s work before the RM production, as well as predict the quality and the mechanical properties of the item
- CAD software for design of lightweight items with inner structures.
- Research into how RM can be integrated into conventional production methods.
- Control and improvement of surface quality of RM items.
The project ran from November 2008 to November 2011.