Purmundus Challenge finalists announced; winners to be revealed at Formnext 2019
November 8, 2019
cirp GmbH, organiser of the Purmundus Challenge, which is sponsored by Germany’s VDMA, has revealed the thirty-eight finalists in this year’s competition. The challenge winners will be announced and presented with their awards at Formnext 2019, Frankfurt, Germany, November 18-22.
Commenting on 2019 challenge, the organisers stated, “this year’s finalists show the enormous potential of Additive Manufacturing. 3D and 4D printing are more than ever and increasingly around the world a core manufacturing process paving the way for smart innovations in various different markets. The 2019 Purmundus Challenge shines a spotlight on forward-looking product ideas from eighteen countries on five continents under the motto ‘Beyond 3D Printing’.”
The finalists in this year’s challenge are said to include forward-looking concepts in the fields of medicine, 4D printing, bionics, mobility, safety and packaging. In addition to a fashion collection and jewellery, finalists include a design product from the cosmetics sector. Products in the fields of lifestyle, furnishings, art and household are also included, as well as musical instruments and a biathlon rifle. Two AM technologies and a new material were also entered.
The panel judges the entries in terms of use, economy and aesthetics, as well as design and innovation. The awards given to the winners are said to be worth a total of €30,000. In addition to the first three places, a ‘special mention’ and an ‘innovation prize’ will also be given. One finalist will also be awarded the prize for the ‘people’s choice’, voted for by visitors to Formnext 2019.
Metal Additive Manufacturing finalists in the Purmundus Challenge 2019
Ginger/wasabi and nutmeg grater by Taktilesdesign GmbH
Sylvia Goldbach of Taktilesdesign GmbH designed a ginger/wasabi and nutmeg grater to increase the ease of grating and durability of graters. The product design was optimised for metal AM and produced in stainless steel with almost no support structures, making it possible to apply the textured finish of the design to the full surface.
The production time was two days, followed by an electrolytic plasma polishing process for surface finishing. Small 115 mm graters are now commercially available, while a larger variant is available as a prototype.
EAP Abutment by EAP Productions und Patentverwertungs GmbH
Prof Dr Mario Kern, EAP Productions und Patentverwertungs GmbH, designed an EAP Abutment for dental applications. The hybrid abutment for tooth implants is designed to work with any implant system, and is said to have approved adhesive properties and be easier to use than conventional abutments.
The product is produced in titanium by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) on a GE Additive Concept Laser MLab 200 system and finished by CNC milling. Shipments of the new abutment began in September 2019.
Smash-proof guitar by Sandvik Additive Manufacturing and Drewman Guitars
Sandvik Additive Manufacturing, in collaboration with Drewman Guitars, manufactured a ‘smash-proof’ guitar for Swedish metal guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen using milling and metal Additive Manufacturing technologies. The guitar is said to be the world’s first all-metal, unbreakable guitar, and was the result of a company-wide project at Sandvik to demonstrate how sustainable technologies can be used to make objects which are both highly precise and extremely durable.
Stealth Key by UrbanAlps AG
Dr Alejandro Ojeda at UrbanAlps AG developed the Stealth Key using industrial metal Additive Manufacturing technologies. This range of keys was designed to overcome the security threat posed by the availability of commercial AM technologies which might be used to scan and duplicate door keys.
The Stealth Key replaces the conventional key design, made out of sheet metal with a visible ‘code’ shape, with a new design in which the code is hidden within a superalloy cylinder, ensuring the key cannot be photographed or scanned.
Mountain Bike Frame by NMU Eco-Car
Byron Blakey-Milner of NMU Eco-Car, based out of Nelson Mandela University, South Africa, designed and produced an additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V mountain bike frame, produced by L-PBF on the Aeroswift large-scale Additive Manufacturing machine. Due to the very high cost of top of the range mountain bike components, the company believes this design could compete economically with high-end carbon fibre designs.
Using topology optimisation, the designer was able to increase the frame’s competitiveness with regard to weight and stiffness, without being limited to the single/split draw mould constraints of carbon bike frames.
Wing3D spoiler system by EDAG Engineering GmbH
Fabian Baum, Sebastian Flügel and Martin Rüde of EDAG Engineering designed the Wing3D spoiler system, said to combine lightweight construction, active aerodynamics, functional integration and a visually appealing design. The spoiler system features a bionic aluminium mount produced by L-PBF.
The mount holds the AM spoiler and adjusts its position using integrated hydraulics. Due to its design, the spoiler could not have been manufactured by conventional methods. It is operated by a piston with oil pressure up to 90 bar, which can set the spoiler at any angle between 6–42°, allowing it to be adjusted to the driving situation in terms of draft and resistance, in addition to an aerodynamic braking function.
#Swirl by Tamara Trusova
Jewellery designer Tamara Trusova produced a set of jewellery titled #Swirl using bronze Additive Manufacturing. The set includes a bracelet, ring and earrings, and is said to be inspired by bionic structures, mathematical forms and algorithms created by computational design.
Monolithic Rocket Chamber by CellCore GmbH
Dr Paul Schüler and Andreas Krüger of CellCore GmbH, in collaboration with SLM Solutions Group AG, developed a monolithic and multi-functional rocket engine concept to demonstrate the potential and benefits of metal L-PBF Additive Manufacturing. The rocket engine demonstrator, produced in IN718 on an SLM 280 machine, combines a fuel inlet, injection head, thrust chamber and innovative structural cooling concept in one integrated design.
The core element of the demonstration piece is the functionally optimized lattice structure integrated into the chamber wall, which in addition to providing the necessary stability, but also offers opportunities for cooling by efficiently conducting heat away from the thrust chamber’s internal wall by actively circulating liquid hydrogen.
This structural cooling is said to offer a significant improvement over conventional approaches such as concentric milled cooling channels. It also reportedly offers an ideal ratio between stability and the amount of material used, and has low flow resistance combined with a large reaction surface.
