Additive Manufacturing Service Bureau Toolcraft has recently collaborated with Siemens Digital Industries to propel porous metal structures in industrial applications. Long-term partnerships between Toolcraft & Siemens have explored such boundaries in process engineering, aerospace, and medical technology.
According to a press release, porous metallic structures can also transport liquid using only capillary forces like a sugar cube can absorb liquid. Researchers at Siemens have therefore integrated functions such as heat transport and cooling, directly into components using additively manufactured porous structures.
Both companies explain that creating the first demonstrators for chemical reaction technology as part of the 3D-PROCESS project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, has demonstrated the huge potential of porous material structures.
The VP of Additive Manufacturing at Siemens Digital Industries, Dr Karsten Heuser reveals “We see potential applications in the process industry, energy process engineering and aerospace in particular. However, applications in mechanical engineering and medical technology are also possible. With Toolcraft, we have a long-standing partner at our side to build the strategic bridge to the industrial production of these sophisticated material structures. We are delighted that Toolcraft can take on this role.”
Toolcraft explains that precise porous metal parts can be produced using the powder bed fusion process (L-PBF) to understand the importance of porous metal structures. In this process, the pore size and distribution can be controlled precisely.
The aim is to optimize structural & functional requirements that are often difficult to achieve using conventional manufacturing methods. Permeable, yet metallically stable structures, for example, can equalize excess pressure, control temperatures more effectively, and absorb liquids.
Porous properties are also helpful when it comes to guiding objects along metal. Using supplied air, objects can float on an air film along a low-friction sliding surface without wearing down the surfaces.
To take the technology into mass production, Toolcraft takes these advanced materials into real-world production & certified under the European Pressure Equipment Directive for Hastelloy® C22, positions porous structures to be used by even wider sections across industries and ensures compliance with standards of the industry concerned.
“We see enormous potential for the industry in creating porous structures. In the future, we can imagine additively manufactured components with this technology. With AMbitious, we plan to offer training courses to pass on our expertise,” says the Chief Technology and Sales Officer at Toolcraft AG, Christoph Hauck.
Toolcraft and Siemens have collaborated efforts in production, opening the market to more efficient and functional materials, changing and turning heads of entire industries by bringing modern industrial productions into play.
Author: Nagarjun M
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