Desktop Metal Qualifies 4140 Steel for Additive Manufacturing
Leading mass production additive manufacturing solutions provider Desktop Metal announced that it has qualified the use of 4140 low-alloy steel for the Production SystemTM platform, which leverages patent pending Single Pass JettingTM technology designed to achieve the fastest build speeds in the metal additive manufacturing industry. Desktop Metal is the first and only company to qualify 4140 low-alloy steel for use with metal binder jetting systems, enabling its use in mass production end-use part applications.
Considered one of the most versatile low-alloy steels, 4140 is critical all-purpose and heat-treatable steel used extensively in a variety of automotive, oil and gas, and industrial applications, such as gears, downhole tool components, couplings, spindles, bolts and nuts, and many other mechanical parts. This linear pneumatic piston is used to convert air pressure into rotary motion through a rack and pinion with 4140 providing the toughness and wear resistance required for this application. The Production System P-50 enables production of up to 690,000 parts per year at a cost as low as $0.28 per cubic centimeter of sintered 4140 low-alloy steel.
Considered one of the most versatile low-alloy steels, 4140 is characterized by its toughness, high tensile strength, and abrasion and impact resistance. It is a critical all-purpose and heat-treatable steel used extensively in a variety of automotive, oil and gas, and industrial applications, such as gears, downhole tool components, couplings, spindles, bolts and nuts, and many other mechanical parts.
Power Steering Joint - This joint is used for power transfer between an electric power steering motor and the steering shaft in an automobile. 4140 provides excellent strength and hardness, which is essential for the spline teeth that connect this part to the rest of its assembly. While production using a conventional press and sinter process would require an expensive mold, the Production System P-50 enables production with no tooling, reducing lead times and enabling more flexible design for quantities up to 1.2 million per year at a fully burdened part cost as low as $2.45.
Herringbone Gear - Herringbone gears, which are found in a variety of industrial machinery applications, benefit from the excellent hardness of 4140 low-alloy steel and can be lightweighted using complex lattice designs made possible by additive manufacturing, reducing material cost and reducing wear on external components, such as motors and bearings. This part can be mass produced on the Production System P-50 in quantities up to 200,000 per year with 120 parts nested in each build.
Linear Pneumatic Piston - Linear pneumatic pistons are used to convert air pressure into rotary motion through a rack and pinion with 4140 providing the toughness and wear resistance required for this application. These parts are traditionally assembled from multiple components due to the geometry and cost limitations of conventional manufacturing processes. The Production System P-50 enables production of up to 690,000 parts per year at a cost as low as $0.28 per cubic centimeter of sintered 4140 low-alloy steel.
Lever Drive - Lever drives are often used in machine design to linearly adjust the location of components in a machine. Binder jetting easily facilitates features such as the precise grooves critical for locating the correct position of external components. While producing a mid-volume run of 10,000 parts would not be cost-effective with conventional manufacturing given the upfront tooling costs or the labor costs associated with machining, the Production System P-50 can print the required quantities in a day with sintered parts ready in less than a week.
Source - Strategic Research Institute