Metal 3D printing by Aidro Hydraulics

16 June, 2017

As well as the 3D-printed hydraulic manifolds, Aidro has designed, or re-designed, many other hydraulic products; such as the stackable directly operated pressure reducing valves. The body of this valve has been re-designed to be 3D printed in order to have a lightweight hydraulic valve. Indeed, AM allows a high reduction of the material used for the production.

In the first step, the valve body maintains the same external walls as the traditional product, but it is empty inside and the weight saving is said to be 40%. The second example is a redesigned valve body, in which the material has been removed where it was not necessary and the final weight is claimed to have been reduced by 60%.

Aidro has 3D-printed the valve body in stainless steel, and the pressure tests reportedly have demonstrated the same results as the traditional manufactured valves in steel zinc plated.

Another example of the possibilities offered by AM can be found in the hydraulic spools that Aidro has redesigned with new holes forms; such as oval holes and square holes. The company comments that these shapes are impractical with traditional manufacturing, particularly with CNC machining, while with AM complex geometries are now feasible.

With the new holes forms, Aidro has increased the passing area of oil inside the spool, facilitating a lower pressure drop. Therefore, the new design with AM offers a higher performance level.

Consolidation

Moreover, with the ability to build complex geometries, Aidro has consolidated more components into one piece and the 3D-printed spool is one single part. This allows the simplification of the manufacturing process and a reduction in assembly time.

By using AM in hydraulics, Aidro offers a variety of materials such as stainless steel with a high level of corrosion resistance, lightweight aluminium or maraging steel which is known for possessing superior strength and toughness without losing malleability. Also, other metals as titanium or inconel – not so commonly used in hydraulics – can be re-evaluated as 3D-printed materials for hydraulic parts.

Aidro’s CEO, Valeria Tirelli, and managing director, Alberto Tacconelli, conclude that they are strong believers in the future of 3D-printed products in hydraulics.

www.aidro.it