Ready for the technology of tomorrow

A pilot project looking at a new manufacturing option for complex components has been running at the ­Augsburg site for four years and will come to an end in October 2020. What insights has MAN ­Energy ­Solutions gained from it?

What does additive manufacturing (AM) mean for the large engine segment? A team led by Tobias Maier has been looking into this question since 2016. The Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composition and Processing Technology (IGCV) in Augsburg is also involved in the cross-functional project as part of a cooperation lasting several years. Matthias Schneck, who has a degree in mechanical engineering, has divided his time between MAN ­Energy ­Solutions and ­Fraunhofer IGCV over the four years of the project and, as the project coordinator, has developed additive manufacturing at the Augsburg site together with the areas involved.

Project objective achieved

Specifically, the project team is investigating manufacturing options for complex components in the injection system or for engine spares. “Additive manufacturing offers new materials with improved properties and makes brand-new geometries manufacturable. The technology is still relatively young as well, so many new applications will become established in the next few years. That will open up enormous opportunities, for which a company must prepare,” says Matthias Schneck. He is convinced that the project has achieved its objective: “Our goal was to make products better and use AM where we can generate added value. This is no easy matter, particularly in large engine production, because the additive manufacturing process is very cost-intensive. Either an additive construction leads directly to savings in the production process or, more frequently, the economic benefit of AM is only realized in the form of added value in the product. MAN has a very good jumping-off point, however, as the turbomachinery segment has already taken 3D printing a step further and the engine segment can benefit from this experience.”

Additive manufacturing offers new materials with improved properties and makes brand-new geometries manufacturable

Potential recognized

The first year of the project was all about analyzing potential in detail. In year two, the team focused on implementing pilot projects. Then it got on with embedding the results in the organization by holding courses, building up a corresponding supply chain and introducing quality control guidelines. The main task in 2020 is the definition of further measures to ensure that the developments that have been initiated are pursued systematically and there is no loss of momentum when the project comes to an end in October. Matthias Schneck is not worried about that, though: “MAN Energy Solutions has recognized the technology’s potential. It’s now a matter of consolidating local know-how. Because in order to employ such complex technology, you have to understand it in detail. The possibilities that will present themselves in the future must be taken into account right from the development of new products, for example.”  

Cross-site knowledge sharing

Knowledge sharing is being actively pursued on the ‘AM United Platform’, the cross-site AM technologies network that has taken root between the Oberhausen, Augsburg, Zurich and Copenhagen sites in recent years. This means that there is also close communication with colleagues at the Center for Additive Manufacturing in Oberhausen, where investments have been made in the necessary infrastructure in recent years. In parallel with this, it is worth building up a network of suppliers so that anything that MAN is unable to manufacture itself can be sourced from external partners.  

Next step: hybrid manufacturing

One option for making additive manufacturing more cost-effective is hybrid manufacturing, as Matthias Schneck explains: “A conventionally manufactured carrier serves as the base for an additively manufactured superstructure. This enables the potential of additive manufacturing to be used at much lower unit costs than with full 3D printing.” As this hybrid manufacturing method is still in development, a research project has been initiated with further partners with a view to providing suitable materials and process chains by 2022.