BMW i8 customer event demonstrates metal AM capabilities at APWorks

News
April 5, 2017

April 5, 2017

Approximately fifty guests and BMW i8 drivers visited APWorks, Taufkirchen, Germany, in late March, 2017, for an overview of the Airbus subsidiary and demonstrations of some of the innovations achieved using metal Additive Manufacturing.

The event opened with a presentation on the possibilities of metal AM by Joachim Zettler, CEO of APWorks. Zettler’s overview introduced applications from industries such as aerospace, medical technology, mechanical engineering, tooling and Formula 1 and illustrated how Additive Manufacturing can reduce lead time and costs for the motorsports industry. The overview also demonstrated how individual and lightweight parts for compact racing car chassis can be designed and produced using metal AM – wherein structural components are printed from Scalmalloy® and thermally loaded parts from titanium.

Marcus Pluntke, Product Manager at BMW i8, commented, “Although I am from the automotive industry, I did not know that the motorsports industry and especially Formula 1 is already using that many metal 3D printed parts. The possibilities 3D printing offers are impressive.”

Later, Dushan Pamunuwa, an member of APWorks’ engineering team, explained how bionic optimisation works by referring to the example of the Light Rider, the world’s first additively manufactured motorcycle prototype. “It is all about developing parts that are extremely high performing and durable, but require as little material as necessary,” Pamunuwa stated.

Dr Matthias Asdonk, APWorks COO, led visitors on a guided tour of the APWorks manufacturing hall, where they viewed working machines from EOS and Additive Industries. “Our competitive advantage is that we not only print parts but also have a lot of know-how in printing processes and materials. We consider the printing process while optimising the parts,” Asdonk explained.

www.apworks.de

www.bmw.com

News
April 5, 2017

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

Extensive AM industry news coverage, as well as the following exclusive deep-dive articles:

  • Aluminium Additive Manufacturing: How a new generation of alloys will fuel industry growth
  • Shaping a national Additive Manufacturing ecosystem: The strategic growth of metal AM in Türkiye
  • How metal Additive Manufacturing is transforming modern hydraulic systems
  • High-performance product development in the era of computational design: a case study with nTop and NASA
  • The Additive Manufacturing of record-breaking pure copper heatsinks for high-performance computing applications
  • The Additive Manufacturing of tool steels: how non-linear modelling enables precise hardness control

Join 40,000+ other AM professionals – follow us online

Don’t miss a thing – register for our newsletter

Don't miss any new issue of Metal AM magazine, and get the latest industry news. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter.

Register now

Looking for AM machines, metal powders or part manufacturing services?

Discover suppliers of these and more in our comprehensive advertisers’ index and buyer’s guide, available in the back of Metal AM magazine.

  • AM machines
  • Process monitoring & calibration
  • Heat treatment & sintering
  • HIP systems & services
  • Pre- & post-processing technology
  • Powders, powder production and analysis
  • Part manufacturers
  • Consulting, training & market data
Find suppliers

About Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine

Metal AM magazine, published quarterly in digital and print formats, is read by a rapidly expanding international audience.

Our audience includes component manufacturers, end-users, materials and equipment suppliers, analysts, researchers and more.

In addition to providing extensive industry news coverage, Metal AM magazine is known for exclusive, in-depth articles and technical reports.

Our focus is the entire metal AM process from design to application.

Each issue is available as an easy-to-navigate digital edition and a high-quality print publication.

Discover our magazine archive…

The free to access Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of metal Additive Manufacturing from a commercial and technological perspective through:

  • Reports on visits to leading metal AM part manufacturers and industry suppliers
  • Articles on technology and application trends
  • Information on materials developments
  • Reviews of key technical presentations from the international conference circuit
  • International industry news

All past issues are available to download as free PDFs or view in your browser.

Browse the archive

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap