34 MAY 2015 ■ IndustrialHeating.com
COVER FEATURE
SINTERING/POWDER
METALLURGYWhile we’re on the topic, aluminum has been playing a
prominent role in the auto industry as of late. As you have no
doubt heard, Ford released its aluminum-body F-150 this year.
It’s a big gamble for the company, mainly because the F-150 is
its top-selling vehicle. Ford’s all-in, though, as evidenced by
production starting up in December 2014 in Dearborn and by the
end of 2015’s first quarter in Kansas City. The decision appears
to be paying off, as the truck recently won the prestigious Truck
of Texas award. Since May 2013, more than 8,000 skilled-trades
and production workers at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant and
Kansas City Assembly Plant have undergone an intensive training
program to support production of the all-new Ford F-150.
AHSS, on the other hand, is another fast-growing
automotive lightweighting material. Lighter and stronger than
conventional steel, this material helps automakers meet safety
and efficiency standards. ArcelorMittal and ThyssenKrupp
have invested heavily in research and
development for AHSS. More importantly,
carmakers have incorporated AHSS into
their vehicles, including Honda and BMW.
General Motors has used a significant
amount of AHSS for its Chevrolet Silverado
truck.
When it comes to technologies impacting
the auto industry, 3D printing is clearly at
the top of the list. Sintering – ancient when
compared to 3D printing – is still playing
an important role.
3D Printing
3D printing is, without a doubt, the hottest
technology on the market. The process of
“printing” solid objects through progressive
layering was first called stereolithography
(SLA), and it was invented and patented
by Charles W. Hull in 1983. Today, 3D
printing is a fixture in manufacturing-
related news, and it has found a home in
the automotive industry.
One of the early adopters taking advantage of 3D technology
was Hendrick Motorsports in the world of NASCAR. They
utilize the technology to “make mistakes in plastic” to cut down
on cost and also produce some non-essential equipment (such
as mirror mounts) for use directly on the cars.
More recently, ExOne Company announced that six
additional materials are now printable in the company’s
printing systems: cobalt-chrome, IN alloy 718, iron-chrome-
aluminum, 17-4 stainless steel, 316 stainless steel and tungsten
carbide. This new group of printable materials is available to a
range of industries, most notably automotive.
If you needed further proof of 3D printing’s role in
manufacturing, look no further than Alcoa. The company
announced in November 2014 that it was working to
implement 3D printing in the manufacture of certain parts in
an effort to cut product development costs.
One of the world’s largest producers of
aluminum cited the automotive industry as
one of 3D printing’s biggest businesses.
3D-printed cars are quickly becoming
a reality. Local Motors used a 3D printing
process to manufacture all of the Strati’s
body parts. The two-seat electric vehicle
was assembled over six days at the
International Manufacturing Technology
Show in September 2014. The car, which
takes 44 hours to print, is made from ABS
plastic that has been reinforced with carbon
fiber. Another vehicle, Urbee, utilizes
3D-printed body panels.
Equus Automotive partnered with
Solid Concepts to build its model 770
muscle car. 3D-printed components were
used as master patterns for casting. Other
components were 3D printed and then
chromed or simply assembled on the car
after post-processing.John Correnti, chairman and CEO of Big River
Steel, Dr. Heinrich Weiss, chairman of SMS
Group’s Advisory Board, and Governor Mike
Beebe (left to right) break ground for Big River
Steel’s new steel mill in Arkansas.Above: A temper oven manufactured by Ajax TOCCO Magnethermic Corp.
Right: ExOne’s Exerial 3D printing system