Innovation is often the direct result of a commitment to find better ways to solve existing problems. And having an interest in finding ways to leverage metal AM is nothing new to Ford Motor Co. The global automaker has been a long-time user and an early adopter of 3D printing. Advancing from simple prototypes to applications now limited low-volume production parts are utilized in the F-150 Raptor and Shelby GT500 Mustang.

North American and European facilities are supplying tens of thousands of parts per year. Ford is expanding AM into its manufacturing facilities to support and enhance production processes too.  Internal education has been launched within the workforce to advance the understanding of the technology and open opportunities to expand to more complex, higher volume and more physically demanding applications.  The result is nearly one printer in every Ford facility throughout the world, and in many cases, multiple printers.   
 

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Hulls are used in the construction of ground vehicles such as Humvees (Courtesy of ASTRO America)

The Applied Science & Technology Research Organization (ASTRO America) will manage the U.S. Army’s effort to build the world’s largest metal 3D printer for ground vehicle production and establish whether a 3D printer can manufacture a Humvee chassis in one build. Known as the ‘Jointless Hull Project’ the effort aims to provide improved production speeds, reduced production costs, reduced vehicle weight, greater vehicle performance and increased survivability.

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) will collaborate with researchers from the University of Central Florida (UCF) to develop additive manufactured lighter weight weapons components for soldiers. The team will optimize the process parameters for the AM of a high-strength magnesium alloy. The lightweight alloy was used to fabricate 24 micro-lattice structures via laser powder bed fusion, allowing the characterization of its compressive strength and failure modes. The expectations are high-strength alloy will eventually be used in future military parts.

Magnesium AM lattice structures by UCF and ARL researchers. (Courtesy of UCF)

Novel process brings most reactive components to the surface (left) and traps the least reactive components at the core (right). (Courtesy Martin Thuo/Iowa State University)

Inspired by nature’s work to build spiky structures in caves, Iowa State University (ISU) researchers have developed a novel technology capable of recovering precious metals from the alloys in electrical waste, such as old phones, computers, and televisions. University start-up funds and part of a U.S. Department of Energy Small Business Innovation Research grant supported development of the technology.

At relatively low temperatures, oxygen is introduced, slowly moving most reactive surfaces to the surface forming stalagmite-like spikes of metal oxides.  The least-reactive components remain in a purified, liquid core surrounded by brittle metal-oxide spikes “to create a so-called ‘ship-in-a-bottle structure,’” said Martin Thuo, the leader of the research project and an associate professor of materials science and engineering at ISU.