Mercedes-Benz Trucks 3D-prints an aluminium thermostat cover

14th August 2017

By: Irma Venter

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

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Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ first three dimensional (3D) printed spare part made of metal – a thermostat cover for truck and Unimog models from older model series – has passed all quality assurance processes at Mercedes-Benz, and is now celebrating its premiere.

“We ensure the same functionality, reliability, durability and cost-effectiveness with 3D metal parts as we do with conventionally produced parts,” says Mercedes-Benz Trucks head of marketing and operations at the Customer Services and Parts division, Andreas Deuschle.

Automotive 3D printing began its increasing success at the Customer Services and Parts division a year ago.

Since then, the division has worked together with researchers and pre-developers at Daimler, Mercedes-Benz’s parent company, to improve and expand the use of the latest 3D printing processes for plastic parts.

3D printing of high-quality plastic components has now successfully established itself as an additional production method, and is particularly suitable for the production of smaller batches.

The 3D printing of metal parts, however, opens up new possibilities.

3D-printed metal parts excel with their high strength and thermal resistance. The process is, therefore, particularly suited to the production of mechanically and thermally stressed components required in small numbers.

Metallic components can be produced at the touch of a button with any geometry and in any numbers.

3D replacement parts production began with rarely ordered aluminium parts. These excel with almost 100 percent density and greater purity than conventional die-cast aluminium parts.

Apart from their high strength and hardness, as well as high dynamic resistance, their production requires no cost-intensive development work or procurement of special tools, explains Mercedes-Benz Trucks.

Conceivable areas of use are peripheral engine parts made of metal, in-engine parts and also parts in cooling systems, transmissions, axles or chassis.

“The availability of spare parts during a workshop visit is essential for our customers – no matter how old the truck is, or where it is located,” says Deuschle.

“The particular added value of 3D printing technology is that it considerably increases speed and flexibility, especially when producing spare and special parts.

“This gives us completely new possibilities for offering our customers spare parts rapidly and at attractive prices, even long after series production has ceased.”

In future, 3D metal printing might allow decentralised and, therefore, much faster, local production directly at Mercedes-Benz production locations worldwide.

This would further improve parts availability, while expensive warehousing and associated, complex transport processes would be rendered unnecessary.

Delivery times to customers would also be shortened.

Thermostat Cover
The 3D-printed thermostat cover is an example of cost-effective spare and special parts production, says Marcedes-Benz Trucks.

The replacement part is only ordered in small numbers, and is used in older truck and Unimog models that have ceased production around 15 years ago.

In contrast to the selective laser sintering used in the plastics sector, 3D printing of metallic components uses selective laser melting.

In the case of the thermostat cover, for example, the powdered aluminium/silicon material (ALSi10Mg) is applied in individual layers and melted by an energy source – usually one or more lasers.

When one layer is completed, a new layer of powder is applied automatically and the melting process is repeated. The process is repeated until a high-strength, three-dimensional aluminium component suitable for use in areas of high temperature has been produced.

Thanks to the layered structure, the process also offers a level of geometrical freedom that cannot be matched by any other production method, says Mercedes-Benz Trucks.

 

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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