Printing instead of casting
The starting point for the project which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics are housings for marine transmissions that are unique and have been produced using the casting process up to now. A process that is not only complex but also produces massive and thus very heavy and resource-intensive parts.
The additive production would offer considerable advantages, as well as eliminating the need for mold making the design could be optimized to suit the process. The integration of cavities and wall thickness optimization would reduce material requirements. The project team assumes that a steel housing currently weighing 13 tons would only weigh 10 tons after optimization for additive production.