GE Additive/ Slightvision
3D printed door knob GE Add Kaspar Schulz
3D printed door knob.
GE Additive is working with brewing equipment manufacturer Kaspar Schulz GmbH to identify additive manufacturing applications in the beverage industry.
So far, the companies have been able to successfully harness Concept Laser metal 3D printing technology to design and/or manufacture two parts differently. Despite being over 300 years old and maintaining a position as a leader in its industry, the two additively manufactured parts represent the very first applications of 3D printing by Kaspar Schulz.
The brewing manufacturer began working with additive manufacturing after GE Additive made an approach six months ago. Soon after, the partners had used additive to produce an access door knob, a part which is traditionally milled out of a block of stainless steel and similar to that GE sees in the aerospace sector, using less material and in less time, with the option to integrate the company logo into the design at no extra cost.
They then looked at a component inside a Lauter Tun vessel which separates wort – the liquid extracted from the mashing of beer – from solids. This part is called the racking arm and the aim was to improve the filtration effect of the spent grain bed inside the vessel. GE and Kaspar Schulz designed a thinner blade with internal channels which loosens the spent grains and distributes water throughout the bed evenly during rotation. Kaspar Schulz’s Head of Research and Development Jörg Binkert believes this feature is ‘unique and without parallels’ with improvements to both time and yield anticipated.
GE Additive/ Slightvision
GE Additive Kaspar Schulz - CAD file
CAD model of racking blade.
The companies were working to have something to show for their collaboration before the Oktoberfest celebrations commenced. With parts designed, simulation analysis carried out, and basic functional tests completed too, they are now looking towards final verification of the door knob and racking arm, before exploring what else can be enhanced with the use of additive manufacturing.
“The use of additive technologies for the brewing or the beverage industry in general can have an evolutionary effect as opposed to a revolutionary effect,” Marc Beaumont, GE Additive’s CEC Munich site leader commented. “Functional integration, reduction of the number of joints and seals are the quick wins that additive can offer without a massive change to the machinery. Beyond that, there can be incremental improvements to individual steps in the brewing process by taking advantage of the design freedom that additive allows. The racking blade is a great first example of that potential.”
“This is just the beginning,” added Binkert.
