PRODUCTS ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING/3D PRINTING
REALISE COMPLEX GEOMETRIES WITH CERAMIC ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
KYOCERA Fineceramics Europe is now offering ‘Ceramic Additive Manufacturing’ to customers in Europe. Using alumina and zirconia as base materials, the products and components
produced with 3D printing technology have the same material properties as those made using more traditional processes such as injection moulding or isostatic pressing. However, in comparison to these methods, CAM offers the advantage of being able to realise complex geometries and almost any customer-specific shape. Alumina is a versatile ceramic material with high strength, stiffness, and
wear resistance. Zirconia offers high mechanical strength, toughness and wear resistance, the company explains. Ceramic Additive Manufacturing enables low tolerances, narrow channels,
composite shapes and much more. With a lead time of around two weeks it is possible to produce prototypes, with subsequent transition to large-scale production of up to thousands of units per day possible in a very short time. According to the company it is possible to create complex forms such as internal passages and cavities, interlocking assemblies or curved surfaces; and to integrate text, logos, labels and serial numbers. Examples of CAM-
printed components include medical implants, spray nozzles, electrical coils and insulators, fluid flow/internal tubing, or valves and bearings.
KYOCERA Europe
uk.kyocera.com RETHINKING BIKE DESIGN WITH 3D PRINTING
In a luxury bespoke bike, aesthetics are highly important. So, as part of a new collaboration, Renishaw and
J.Laverack Bicycles’ aim was to make a visually ‘boltless' bicycle from a combination of titanium lugs and carbon fibre tubes, where nearly every element can be tailored to the exact measurements of the rider – from made-to-measure handlebars to unique frame sizes. Oliver Laverack, co-founder of
J.Laverack, said: “We wanted to totally rethink bike design to make the most bespoke, beautiful and technologically advanced bike possible. It would be made to measure – to the millimetre – as a series of perfect one-offs.” The company realised that 3D printing
would enable it to make high-performance, geometrically optimised one-off parts. But, with limited experience in the technology, it needed a development partner which could provide support and guidance when designing and manufacturing AM components.
J.Laverack reached out to Renishaw for support in manufacturing the titanium lugs, brackets, fork dropouts, headtube, rear dropouts, seat tube lug and X-wing. “We assessed the best way to lay out the individual parts on the build plate, determined the best angle to orientate them, and designed a support strategy,” said Joe McMurtry,
28 DESIGN SOLUTIONS MAY 2025
mechanical engineer at Renishaw. “Because every AM part is different, so too is the approach, and we had to adapt accordingly to achieve the highest quality components. When making the top head tube, we decided to build the part on the plate without supports, adding extra stock to be machined off later to ensure there was no possibility for error when removing the part from the build plate.” Renishaw engineers built the parts at an
angle which eliminated overhangs and allowed them to create a geometry that didn’t require internal supports. Metal additive manufacturing provided the design freedom needed to make complex geometries that would not have been possible using traditional subtractive
methods, while enabling the lightweighting of components. This included internal lattice structures to reduce weight, an important factor with bike design and manufacture. Once the design and support strategy was optimised, Renishaw began to print the components in aerospace-grade 6AI/4V titanium in 30 micron layers, then heat treated and post- processed them so they can be sent for Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The parts are produced on Renishaw’s flagship RenAM 500Q
system.Using AM, as opposed to more traditional frame-building approaches, meant it was possible to remove materials from certain areas of the frame where it was not needed, helping to reduce weight from the bike. As a result, the
J.Laverack Aston Martin .1R starts from just 7.5 kg. The .1R is the world’s first ‘boltless’ bicycle, with no visible bolts, screws or attachments at the headset, seat clamp, calipers or bottle cage. Brake hoses are concealed within the handlebars which is a complex part that uses the same design and manufacturing technique applied to the front splitter of a Formula One car. Each bike takes over 1,000 hours to create, including over 500 hours of CNC machine time. Every detail is meticulously engineered and designed to meet the specific needs of each individual.
Renishaw
www.renishaw.com
TITANIUM METAL POWDER NOW QUALIFIED FOR USE ON TRuPrint AM SYSTEMS
TRUMPF has qualified 6K Additive’s titanium metal powder for use in the TruPrint additive manufacturing systems. Both organisations have a
strong customer base in aerospace as well as initiatives toward sustainability. This new qualification helps strengthen the opportunity for customers to leverage the premium titanium powder for their applications, with the assurance that printed parts will meet their most stringent requirements and will have the lowest environmental impact. Frank Roberts, president of 6K Additive, commented: “We continue
to hear from our aerospace and defence customers asking us to help lower the barriers for qualification for their applications. The collaboration between our two companies did just that by ensuring the machine and powder are qualified ahead of their own internal qualification, which will streamline the customer’s process into production faster. We are excited to work with the TRUMPF team on titanium and other powders in our portfolio going forward.” 6K Additive is the first producer of AM powder made from highly
sustainable sources – offering a full suite of premium metal and alloy powders including nickel, titanium, copper, stainless steel, and refractory metals such as tungsten, niobium, and rhenium.
6K Additive
6KAdditive.com
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