F E AT U R E
Two Separate Functional Parts,
One Design
An oil separator and cooler that traditionally function as two
separate parts were produced as three components in a direct
metal laser sintering (DMLS) platform from EOS, then welded
into a single part measuring 450 × 260 × 180 mm (17.7 ×
10.3 × 7.1 inches). This was later reproduced in one piece, as
a concept design, using the company's new EOSINT M 400
modular, extendable DMLS system above.
This part was built from EOS's Aluminum AlSi10Mg alloy for
a Rennteam Uni Stuttgart racing car. The upper section of the
oil separator/cooler uses centrifugal force to deposit oil from air
(its rough surface enhances this effect), and the lower portion
serves as the oil tank, offering maximized surface area for cooling. The original part was used in a formula-student racing car
and proved to have great performance characteristics, EOS says.
With a build chamber measuring 400 × 400 × 400 mm
(15.8 × 15.8 × 15.8 inches), the EOS M 400 enables the
automated manufacture of high-quality large metal parts. The
system consists of a setup station separate from the build
area with an automated system in between that clears loose
powder from completed parts.
12— AM Supplement
Use of DMLS is said to have contributed to a reduction
in the oil separator's size and weight. A highlight of the
new system is that it separates job preparation and calculation from the building process, enabling the job fle to
be prepared at the designer's desk and then transmitted
via a network to the machine. In this way, the machine
focuses solely on building the parts.