BMW is one of the pioneers in the use of 3D printing technology, using 3D printers since the early 1990s. Since 2002, he has been cooperating with ExOne – a manufacturer of industrial 3D printers for sand and powdered metals, using four sand production systems. BMW also plans to install two more.
BMW operates ExOne 3D printers at its light metal foundry at the Landshut plant. It is the company’s largest cast component factory, producing over 3 million parts a year, such as cylinder heads. The facility is considered a center of excellence in lightweight construction due to the intelligent design of components for performance and fuel efficiency.
At the Landshut plant, BMW uses Binder Jetting technology to produce 6-cylinder water jacket cores used in the B58 engines installed in M3 and M4 series cars. The company uses Exerial printers, which are used to produce complex cores. BMW uses an inorganic binder that produces no odor or emissions during the metal casting process. Once the cores are printed, molten aluminum is injected and the final hardened part meets BMW specifications.
“The final product delivered through our digital manufacturing process is a sophisticated and trusted combination of old and new technologies that provides a blueprint for a new manufacturing future,” commented Eric Bader, managing director of ExOne, the company. “BMW and ExOne together demonstrate how Binder Jetting 3D printing can be used for sustainable series production with less waste, smarter design and virtually zero emissions.”
Source: www.desktopmetal.com