e���ts and the obstacles to adoption of
competing materials. Going deeper, a
decision-tree, material-trade analysis
of aerospace material selection for
aircraft components shows that, for
example, high-strength steel has an
assured position in landing gear today, but titanium and carbon likely will
grow in those applications. Aluminum
will remain a strong contender in ribs,
stringers and bulkheads, but carbon
���ber and titanium are poised to take
larger shares in that area. In the automotive sector, semistructural components, such as seats and instrument
panel beams in the vehicle interior,
represent a four-horse race, with steel,
aluminum, magnesium and carbon ���ber vying for dominance in future cars.
I see carbon ���ber taking some of aluminum���s share in powertrain parts that
don���t need high thermal stability.
In reality, the car of the future will be
a multimaterial construction in which
composites and advanced metals will
be combined to achieve the best performance/cost balance.
A material to watch, in aerospace and
automotive, is nanocrystalline magne-
sium produced in sheets by nanoMAG
(Livonia, Mich., a Thixomat company).
The company uses a proprietary thixomolding thermal/mechanical process
that converts billets to sheet form and
is currently targeting high-value applications in defense, armor, aerospace and
sporting goods, with the help of grants
from the U.S. Army and others. This material could represent a kick to the gut for
other structural materials, depending on
its development and adoption.
Finally, additive manufacturing must
be viewed as both a competitive and a
complementary solution in many applications. This fascinating technology,
which includes stereolithography (SLA),
selective laser sintering (SLS), fused deposition modeling (FDM), 3-D printing
and similar processes, can produce virtually any shape or feature, without much
postform processing. The materials used
in the processes include metals and
polymers that have embedded functional ���llers and/or chopped ���bers. However,
the processes do have cost, yield and
scalability limits compared to incumbent subtractive manufacturing and require a strategic business model for
commercial success that includes a focus on small, complex, high-value parts,
such as components for gas turbine engines and orthopedic implants (see
���Learn More,��� below). Savvy developers
will sell optimized raw material powders
at high margins to enable part manufacturing. Manufacturers who need complex, high-temperature plastic or metal
parts should consider engaging with one
of the leaders in this growing sector.
Learn More
@
www.compositesworld.com
Read this article online at
http://short.compositesworld.com/PBTUYbtd.
Read more about additive manufacturing
technologies and materials in the following:
���The rise of rapid manufacturing,��� HPC
July 2009 (p. 32) or visit http://short.
compositesworld.com/s1Zf43Fh.
���Focus on Design: The promise of rapid
manufacturing,���HPC January 2008 (p. 54)
or visit http://short.compositesworld.com/
Dz51Y0r6.
5-Axis Machining Centers For Composites
Phone: 330.920.9200, ext 137 ��� Fax: 330.920.4200 ��� Website: www.quintax.com ��� E-Mail: sales@quintax.com
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