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Customer |
Crankshaft
In mass production, crankshafts are made as forgings or castings. For cast crankshafts, it is easy to decide which prototyping method is suitable. But produced forged prototypes is cost-intensive and requires long turnaround times because of the necessary forging dies. Cast prototypes may be used as the quick and low-cost alternative.
In engineering this part, we tried to reduce the rotating masses with cut-outs in the side of the crankshaft. Making this part by conventional casting, additional core boxes would be needed, which would increase production time and cost. These dies, the corresponding additional costs and longer delivery times, are not necessary when laser-sintering the Croning®-sand or when DMM-Direct Mold Milling® is used
With this Rapid Castings®-part, the customer was able to save about six weeks in comparison with conventional methods. Cost savings of almost 80 % compared to manufacturing with modelling equipment clearly justified the customer's decision.
After testing the prototype on the test bench, the new crankshaft design was not transferred into series production. In this case, the use of an RP method proved to be optimal.
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