SEPTEMBER 20218 MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY INSIGHTSIN MY OPINIONIN MY OPINIONBy Klaus Ahlborn & Thorsten Müller, Mgr. in R&D and Sourcing, Deutz AGLooking to my "Wohlers Reports" on Rapid Prototyping (RP) dating back into 1998, 3D-printing has been economically overestimated for decades. Nevertheless, bearing manifold unseen technological solutions and with the help of digitalization,Additive Manufacturing quietly overcame barrier by barrier, Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysisopening the door. Ever since 3D-printing is sneaking behind new software, capacity-growth of memory and ever accelerated computing now stipulating the question: Will there ever be a limit? For an answer let us have a look to the past, the state of art and the perspectives for a renowned engine maker.While testing carbon-fiber coil-structuresback in 1986,we first could imagine, what the 3D-printing will offer and what is called "bionics" today: FE-analyzing the layer structure of trees and bones with respect to their loads we understood the necessity to place fiber by fiber three dimensionally. But how to manufacture? We were limited to filament winding.In 2002 I started 3D manufacturing using laser for photopolymerization of Epoxies (SLA) and got subsequently involved in printer development, mostly in use for dental applications then.Polymer Printing is Common for RP and Manufacturing EquipmentToday inhouse RP with polymers for R&D is common, as well as adaption components, specific fixtures, repair or optimizing modifications of equipment for our manufacturing lines. 3D-Printing of Polymers is a Hub to Additive Manufacturing (AM) of Metals
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