GKN Additives 3D printed the hydraulic adapter block. This adapter block has been redesigned and its weight is 80% lighter than traditionally manufactured similar products. The UK-based technology group uses the principle of additive manufacturing design (DfAM) to reduce material usage, thereby reducing weight and cost, while also improving functionality.
The weight of the 3D printed hydraulic block is reduced by 80%
Hydraulic blocks often have a compact block design and have a set of internal channels in them. Internal channels control oil distribution in the hydraulic system, allowing operators to control heavy machinery, such as the arms of cranes or excavators. The traditional manufacturing method first drills vertical holes from above and below, and then connects through horizontal channels and cuts threads into them. In order to prevent oil from leaking from the open horizontal channel, it is also plugged and sealed with grub screws.
Whether in terms of cost or function, the machining efficiency of these adapter blocks is extremely low. Drilling and milling edges will produce sharp burrs, which are difficult to reach with tools during post-processing, causing the hydraulic system to break during operation and induce system failures. In addition, the turbulent flow at the sharp-angled connection points results in low energy efficiency; and dirt will accumulate in the unused horizontal channels, thereby shortening the service life of the hydraulic system.
Redesigned hydraulic block
GKN`s additive business unit has been redesigned to take advantage of the main advantage of 3D printing-complete design freedom. The weight of the project was reduced by 80%, from 30 kg to 5.5 kg without sacrificing any function. The new design discards a lot of excess material and ensures that there are no hole overlaps in the part. The unused horizontal channels are completely omitted, so no dust can accumulate anywhere. The sharp inner corners are replaced by smooth curves, which greatly reduces the turbulence in the system.
GKN Additives Business Unit
In addition, if you want to make any modifications to the design, the 3D design and 3D printing process will easily achieve this goal. CAD software can be used for rapid design iterations, thereby eliminating the tedious steps of using new tools to change the drilling position.
Redesigned 3D hydraulic module
The DfAM principle is useful not only in production tools or heavy machinery, but also in all industries. The DfAM-centric service provider ADDIT · ION in Barcelona previously manufactured 3D printed snowboard binders to fix athletes' shoes and boots on the snowboard. The new design is geometrically optimized for weight and stress distribution to provide users with a competitive advantage.