Automotive industry

Within the area of car manufacturing, the process of rapid prototyping is used for the design and validation of new products. These products are, for example, pump housings or sealing components which are tested in corresponding experiments. Printed metal prototypes are especially handy when it comes to the examination of assembly properties, visual appearance or flow properties. So far though, the current 3D printing processes have only been able to produce parts with completely different strengths compared to the serial production. Because of this, it has so far not been possible to print prototypes for mechanical tests or crash tests. The CEM process (composite extrusion modeling) designed by us is expected to eliminate this disadvantage, as our printed components show no directional dependency when it comes to the strength of the parts.

Typical applications for 3D printed metal parts in the automotive industry are, for example, components which are subjected to heat and which guide the flow, such as turbocharge housings or impellers, but also various mechatronical elements such as motor housings, switches and levers. By using conventional MIM pellets, you as a customer have full control over the materials you use without having to buy expensive materials with unknown properties. The use of 3D printing further enables you to lower the fixed unit price regardless of the complexity of the product and also allows for a cost-efficient and decentralized supply of spare parts and custom-made components. In contrast to conventional metal injection molding, the CEM process now also offers you the possibility to print hollow components or components filled with honeycomb structures. Furthermore, the design freedom of 3D printing can be used to create complex lightweight structures, which can have a positive impact on the vehicle weight and thus also on the fuel consumption. In the near future, we plan on increasing our build space, enabling you to also print larger parts.