Additive Manufacturing

Pushing borders, additive manufacturing processes enable the manufacturing of structures with a high degree of lightweight design that are optimised for the load path and thus often appear organic. The design freedom gained is nevertheless accompanied by process-related restrictions, which are primarily the result of the need for controlled dissipation of process heat and the support of thin-walled overhangs in the printing process. The consideration of such requirements in the design process leads to the active integration of grid geometries in the load-bearing behaviour of additively manufactured components and opens up further potential for lightweight structural design.

As a first example of the reliability and the potential of a tailor-made simulation strategy, in cooperation with partners at the development site in Dresden, an additively manufactured tank holder (see picture) made of the alloy AlMgSi10 was designed and realised in the SLM (Selective Laser Melting) process. The internal support structures enable a light and rigid design.