Aidro Hydraulics
Variations of a mobile hydraulic manifold design.
Aidro Hydraulics, an Italian hydraulic systems developer, has incorporated Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) technology into its manufacturing processes.
Installing an EOS M 290 platform, the company has stepped up its adoption of 3D printing technology, and sought to transform the way it manufactures hydraulic components. Prior to the M 290, Aidro had been working with plastic 3D printing equipment, but looking to bring the manufacture of hydraulic components up to speed with contemporary technologies, made the jump to a metal printing system.
Aidro has since enjoyed the ability to negotiate complex forms, the ability to lightweight components, and the ability to implement a design overhaul to products. One notable component to benefit from the adoption of DMLS is a mobile hydraulic manifold. The 3D printed manifold boasts exactly the same function as the traditionally made one, that is to control a double acting cylinder with two solenoids valves and two pilot operated check valves. It does this while being 75% lighter and nearly half the size.
The parts are mainly additively manufactured in either Aluminium Alsi10Mg or Stainless Steel 316L, with a CNC machine being implemented to finish them. They are then validated and tested. Pressure tests assess their durability. The mechanical properties, such as tensile, strength, elongation, impact toughness and hardness, are not only good, but better than their traditionally manufactured counterparts. Aidro also reports the performance is just as good, if not better, thanks in large part to the curved shapes and elimination of 90° intersection angles.
Aidro has established a Solutions Center for Additive Manufacturing in Hydraulics (SCAMH), enabling AM specialists to design new hydraulic components, per customer requirements, and bring them to life with DMLS. The SCAMH oversees the entire process, from design to production to testing. Design specialists model new hydraulic components with complex geometries and refined designs to reduce weight, save space, and consolidate multiple pieces into just one. Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis is conducted, as are stress tests. These models are then transported to the company’s EOS M 290 machine where they are printed, and later tested. Finally, with flexible vertical machining equipment, the cavities and surfaces of parts are finished.
The adoption of metal 3D printing is set to revolutionise the way Aidro manufactures hydraulics for its customer base. Aidro operates out of the Province of Varese, about 50km north-west of Milan, manufacturing hydraulic components for industrial users. It began using the EOS machine last year and first presented the 3D printed hydraulic parts to the public at Hannover Messe last April. CEO, Valeria Tirelli says the company’s specialists are finding new potential applications of 3D printing day after day.
