Here at 3D Rapid Print, one of the fastest growing 3D Printing companies in the Thames Valley, we like to keep abreast of the latest innovations in 3D printing.
On May 4th 2022, XJet of Rehovot, Israel announced that its technology had been used in 3D printing what it claimed was the world’s first 3D printed car engine piston made entirely with ceramic. It was developed for the Chaos Ultracar of Spyros Panopoulos Automotive (SPA) of Attica, Greece. Proclaimed by XJet as “the man behind the most efficient combustion engine on the planet” SPA founder Spyros Panopoulos is developing a car with an intended acceleration of 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 1.55 seconds and a top speed of more than 500km/h (311mph). XJet contended that this would result in the fastest-revving production car engine ever made, reaching up to 12,200RPM and 3,065 horsepower.
To develop the engine and support the necessary levels of performance, the piston was designed via Panopoulos’ proprietary design method for 3D printing, where an object takes its shape based on the forces acting on it. Material is minimised where it doesn’t support performance and added where reinforcement is needed, optimising weight while maintaining strength and temperature resistance. When finishing the design, Panopolous realised that 3D printing was the only way to produce such complex geometry with the necessary accuracy and surface finish. He argued that ceramic offered many advantages over other materials, due to it being harder and stiffer than steel, more resistant to heat and corrosion than metals or polymers and weighing significantly less than most metals and alloys. He also claims that 78% of the car’s body will be 3D printed, as well as other parts including the engine block, camshaft and intake valves.
Another example of 3D printing’s use in car manufacturing involves 3D Systems of Rock Hill, South Carolina. In late June 2021, it announced that track car manufacturer Rodin Cars of Mount Lyford, New Zealand had chosen 3D Systems’ 3D printing technology to manufacture parts for its then soon-to-be-released Rodin FZero hypercar. Among other things, Rodin Cars 3D printed a titanium 8-speed sequential gearbox with a hydraulically controlled differential, which 3D Systems claimed was the first of its kind in the world.
3D printing is an amazing tool. It can grow your small business or start a mini revolution in an industry. Explore what it can do for you when you contact us today.
Disclaimer: Featured image of “1901 automobile built by Dr. J.M. Greensfelder in Herculaneum, Missouri” is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1927.
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