China3D printingNet, April 2nd, manufacturing system provider Ingersoll Machine Tools has cooperated with the airline Bell to3D printingA 22-foot-long vacuum trim tool used to produce helicopter rotor blades.
The project was completed using Ingersoll’s own large-format hybrid MasterPrint system, which saved a lot of delivery time. The MasterPrint system is based on gantry3D printingMachine with integrated 5-axis milling function.According to Ingersoll, MasterPrint is the largest polymer in the world3D printingmachine. The system is specially designed for the production of super large parts.
Chip Storie, CEO of Ingersoll, said: “We are constantly testing and improving MasterPrint at the development center.” “Ingersoll’s short-term goal is to convert MasterPrint to the aerospace industry.3D printingA mold that retains the geometric characteristics and tolerances, vacuum integrity, and autoclave resilience that are usually obtainable with traditional technology, but only additive manufacturing can reduce costs and time. The unremitting efforts of our MasterPrint process in 2020 finally made this goal possible. “
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The vacuum trimming tool” width=”620″ height=”465″ />
3D printingOf vacuum dressing tools. The picture comes from Ingersoll (Ingersoll).
The vacuum trimming tool consists of 1,150 pounds of ABS and 20% chopped carbon fiber filler, and it takes approximately 75 hours to print from start to finish. After the printing is completed, the mold surface and other tool positioning features are processed into the part by closing the printing module for the 5-axis milling head.
The milling process was completed in another week, and the final dressing tool was made completely hermetically sealed. On MasterPrint3D printingAnd processing operations are using Siemens 840D CNC control system.
By choice3D printingInstead of processing large molds, partners can greatly shorten the delivery time of the project. By co-designing the addition and subtraction part of the workflow in a native CAD software format, the entire manufacturing process took about 3 weeks. In contrast, the traditional manufacturing cycle of a typical aluminum mold of this size will take 4 to 5 months.
James Cordell, senior manager of process stability at Bell added: “For many years, Bell has used composite materials to manufacture airframe components, including those produced on Ingersoll tape laminators. These similar materials are now used to make formations. Moulds for fuselage components. With this rapid manufacturing equipment, Bell will greatly accelerate the speed at which we develop tools for many applications within the Bell organization.”
22-foot-long vacuum trimming tool. The picture comes from Ingersoll (Ingersoll).
Use MasterPrint for mass production
This is not Ingersoll’s MasterPrint 3D printingFor the first time, the machine used its large-scale parts production function.Earlier this year, the University of Maine (UMaine) received $2.8 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) to develop a more environmentally friendly3D printingThe method of wind turbine blade mould. Using a custom variant of MasterPrint, researchers are now in the process of creating their leaf molds using bio-based nanocellulose raw materials. Once completed, the project is expected to shorten the lead time by several months and save 25% to 50% of the cost.
Previously, UMaine also used its custom MasterPrint system to make the world’s largest3D printingEntity (and largest3D printingferry).This 25-foot, 5,000-pound3D printingThe ship is called 3Dirigo, and it has been tested and baptized at the university. It is produced using a mixture of plastic and lignocellulose in three days.
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