Schaeffler Special Machinery – a company belonging to the Schaeffler Group, a German manufacturer of bearings used in the automotive, aerospace and aerospace industries, announced the premiere of its own 3D printer, which is to combine metal with ceramics at work. The machine is to be presented at automatica 2023, dedicated to automation and industrial robotics, and is expected to hit the market in 2024.
At the moment, Schaeffler does not reveal technical details about the 3D printer or the technological process it uses, except that it is supposed to combine metal and ceramics in one production process. This is what Bernd Wollenick, Senior Vice President at Schaeffler Special Machinery, says about it: “Our newly developed system concept for multi-material 3D printing is a milestone in the integration of additive manufacturing processes into our production lines. This solution will allow customers to take advantage of innovative material combinations, integrate new features into components and tools, and provide greater flexibility in product and tool design.”
The Schaeffler Group was founded in 1946 as a manufacturer of steel bearings and is now Europe’s leading industrial group with a value of €13.9 billion and approximately 83,000 employees. The Schaeffler family is one of the wealthiest in Germany, led by George Schaeffler, who has a net worth of approximately $9 billion. The Schaefflers hold a controlling stake in Continental AG and Vitesco Technologies.
The announced ceramic and metal 3D printer represents Schaeffler Special Machinery’s first approach to the additive manufacturing sector. The company has been using 3D printing since the early 2000s, using the technology to create prototypes of molds and functional prototypes, and recently also in serial production of final components and parts. The new Schaeffler 3D printer will certainly reach a wide range of customers, and because it is a unique technology, it could significantly affect the 3D printing industry in general. In addition, as the Schaeffler Group is heavily developing and using automation in an industrial environment, this could mean that its 3D printers could be deployed in an automated factory environment alongside other manufacturing technologies.
Source: www.schaeffler.com