Friday, November 27, 2020
3D Printing Coming to Hydraulics
Hydraulics & Pneumatics: One advantage of hydraulics technology is its high power density. Hydraulic pumps are typically a small fraction the size of the electric motors that drive them, and the size and weight differential between pumps and gas or diesel engines is even more pronounced. An even bigger advantage is with actuators. Hydraulic cylinders only a few inches in diameter can generate forces to lift thousands of pounds, crush rock and concrete, or form high-strength steel into rugged components.
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I clicked on this article because I was intrigued by the application of 3D printing to hydraulics because hydraulics is all about being sealed perfectly tight and 3D printers aren’t always known for being reliable and accurate. But I guess that's more the case with the hobbyist’s 3D printers, and not with the higher tech, industrial grade printers that work with other materials. It was very neat to see the hydraulic valve block printed by a metal 3D printer and that metal 3D printers have the precision and accuracy to create something like that that works. I’m glad that the unique detailed additive manufacturing abilities of 3D printing can be applied to making the unique parts for a type of automation that is incredibly powerful and useful. I’d be interested to see how the hardware in the world of hydraulics evolves now that there is the ability to 3D print hydraulic parts.
I really like seeing how other industrial fields are using 3D printing, for so long it really felt like it was a prototyping tool rather than a legitimate form of additive manufacturing. Recently I've been reading about manufacturing processes for AdFab and the challenges that some processes pose is astronomical, but with 3D printing are almost nothing. Granted, the author notes that it is best suited for specialized applications and not for large scale manufacturing, but in theatre 90% of what we do is specialized application! I would be hesitant to trust it on anything mission-critical like rigging equipment, but if these 3D prints can withstand the pressures that industrial hydraulic systems place on them I might begin to rethink that mindset. Finally, the design optimization you can do on these parts, especially pieces with complex internal cavities such as a hydraulic valve or manifold, is unmatched by any other form of manufacturing, and allows designers to create freely instead, as the article notes, of being bound to manufacturing realities.
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