Magnetic Moments

A 3D Printer Can Create Sophisticated Designs That Require Less Material To Make, Which Lets Products Be Lighter.

- Jayashree M

USUALLY, REMOVING MATERIAL FROM A product to lighten can make it more expensive. Cutting, drilling and machining require extra work and thus incur extra cost. That would normally push a supplier into a market that values weight-saving. At one end of the scale, Formula 1 motor racing, a kilogram saved may be the difference between winning and losing a race. In this business such a kilogram is worth more than $120,000. At the other end, saving a kilogram on equipment which sits on a factory floor is worth only a few rupees.

But with a 3D printer hardly any additional work is needed. Indeed, contrary to accepted wisdom, the lighter a part gets the cheaper it becomes to make, because of the materials saved.

As 3D printers get faster and the quality of their output improves, the market for manufactured goods will change dramatically. Industry needs to rethink the value of additive manufacturing. It is not just a weight reducer but a cost reducer too.

Machines and equipment for 3D printing too are evolving. For instance, after flirting with the concept for some time, Japanese multinational Canon has announced the development of a ceramic 3D printing technology. Yet to be introduced as a machine, Canon’s latest technology is demonstrated through the presentation of a range of proprietary materials, made to be used with selective laser melting (SLM).

Made to match the properties of conventional ceramics, eg. heat and corrosion resistance, high insulation, Canon compares its material’s properties to those achieved through injection molding. It also tackles challenges related to the shrinkage of typical ceramic materials that occurs in the post annealing/ baking process.