DESIGN UPDATE AND PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT COST REDUCTION WITH ADDITIVE

For the 4-stack extraction channel design, Etteplan collaborated with the consulting team at Nikon SLM Solutions to optimize process parameters for speed. While many of Nikon SLM Solutions‘ customers operate in critical industries where mechanical properties are paramount, the dust extraction channels are non-load-bearing structures and do not require fully dense material with the highest mechanical properties achievable through Nikon SLM® technology. As a result, a unique process parameter approach was implemented, allowing specific regions of the component to be slightly more porous—significantly reducing print time and further increasing cost savings.

This approach was particularly applied to non-visible regions of the part, such as the threaded inlets and outlets, where speed-optimized parameters were used. Meanwhile, standard high-quality process parameters were assigned to the rest of the component, ensuring an optimized surface finish for the end-user.

Additionally, application engineers at Nikon SLM Solutions refined the support structures to minimize material usage and simplify powder removal. Through close collaboration with the Nikon SLM Solutions consulting team, the print time for the fully stacked SLM®280 build was further reduced by 25%.

Etteplan’s final design for the dust extraction channel met and exceeded all of their customer’s initial AM design objectives. The project’s success was driven by strong communication and collaboration between Etteplan, Nikon SLM Solutions, service bureau 3Dstep, and the customer. By leveraging the design freedoms of additive manufacturing and combining it with a deep understanding of the production process, the project team was able to deliver a high-quality product with optimized performance at a significantly lower cost.

INNOVATIONS WITH SELECTIVE LASER MELTING

Etteplan’s first Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) iteration of the extraction channel focused on smoothing internal air channels and eliminating excess material to enhance efficiency. At this stage, process simulation software was utilized for orientation optimization, analyzing how print orientation impacted build time, support volume, post-processing effort, and predicted deformation/distortion levels.

Two orientations produced comparable and optimal results in terms of support volume, post-processing, and deformation control. While these orientations resulted in longer print times for a single component, they minimized build plate footprint, allowing more parts per build. When the build plate was fully nested, the per-part print time was actually lower than other orientation options.

Once oriented, further modifications were made to improve printability and eliminate support structures in visible regions after assembly in the sander. Print process simulations were conducted to determine where support structures were necessary, ensuring that print-direction distortions would not cause recoater collisions during printing. These simulations also verified that final distortion levels remained within required tolerances.

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of additive manufacturing (AM), Etteplan’s AM cost estimation tool was used to compare various design options with the traditionally manufactured part. Initial findings indicated that additively manufacturing a single part was cost-prohibitive. However, by printing 11 parts simultaneously, AM achieved cost parity with traditional methods. Further design optimizations enabled stacking components four-high, maximizing efficiency. This allowed a total of 120 pieces to be printed in a single job on an SLM®280 Production Series, significantly surpassing the break-even point compared to conventional manufacturing.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Reduced Manufacturing Costs → 40% savings through DfAM and nested build orientation
• Optimized Parameters → 25% reduction in build time
• Component Optimization → 50% weight savings with enhanced performance

ETTEPLAN INNOVATION

Etteplan provides solutions for industrial equipment and plant engineering, software and embedded solutions, and technical documentation solutions to the world’s leading companies in the manufacturing industry. Their services are geared to improve the competitiveness of their customers‘ products, services and engineering processes throughout the product life cycle. The results of Etteplan’s innovative engineering can be seen in numerous industrial solutions and everyday products.

OUR MISSION, TO EMPOWER YOURS

To learn more about how Nikon SLM Solutions can help you optimize your manufacturing processes, please contact our team.