5月4日看到了Polyline Project的启动，这是一个灯塔项目，将汇集来自德国各地的15个工业和研究合作伙伴，以开发数字化AM生产线。自动生产线将集中于汽车行业的3D打印串行聚合物零件。通过使用工业级AM技术补充传统制造技术，合作伙伴希望生产许多高通量生产线系统以推动汽车制造。
多线has received a total of€10.7M in funding from theGerman Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It will take place over the course of three years and was commenced at a kick-off meeting at EOS, who is leading the project, in Krailling, Germany.
多线项目
The design freedom granted by additive manufacturing technology makes it perfect for highly complex bespoke prototyping. As it stands, however, the vertical and horizontal integration of AM into current industrial manufacturing lines is generally difficult due to a lack of standards. The standards aren’t in place due to the relative infancy of AM-specific workflows and processes such as post-processing and part transport. Many of these processes are still highly manual – an issue the POLYLINE project aims to remedy.
On the digital side of things, there is a lack of transparency, a proneness to errors, and limited process chain monitoring capabilities as a result of a lack of interface continuity in the horizontal digital data chain. The project partners believe these hurdles severely limit the potential of AM in existing series production lines.
Scalable AM production lines
To consider the project successful, the partners will have to develop a “breakthrough” system covering both the digital and physical aspects of manufacturing. They will document and keep a record of all central characteristics and quality criteria from the CAD design to the final physical part. All individual sub-processes (preparation, SLS, cooling, unpacking, cleaning, and post-processing) will be automated and integrate into the production line. According to EOS, this will be the first time all the individual elements of an SLS production line will be linked together in one continuous automated chain.
The hopes are that the holistic approach of the project will be capable of implementing the planned production line with a high degree of maturity in line with the applications it will be used for. According to EOS, the use cases cover individual bespoke parts as well as serial components in greater numbers.
The full list of project partners is as follows:EOS,宝马集团,Grenzebach Maschinenbau,3YOURMIND,Additive Marking,DyeMansion,Bernd Olschner,Optris,Krumm-tec,Paderborn University,弗劳恩霍夫IGCV,Fraunhofer IML,Dortmund University of Technology,University of Augsburg, andUniversity Duisburg Essen.
The issue of AM standards is a long-standing one which the POLYLINE project aims to fix – at least for automotive. Earlier this year, a number of industry leaders gathered in Munich forthe2nd TÜV SÜD Additive Manufacturing Conferenceto discuss the implementation of industrial additive manufacturing through standardization and digitization. More recently,AMT and Leering Hengelo partnered up to launch two new automated de-powdering systemsfor 3D printed parts. Although it does not cover the entire process chain, thePostProDPrange aims to automate the excruciatingly tedious and manual post-processing associated with PBF components.
The nominations for the2020 3D印刷行业奖are now open. Who do you think should make the shortlists for this year’s show? Have your say now.
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Featured image shows the consortium meeting of the 15 partners in Krailling. Photo via EOS.
