Susanne Trautmann
GKN Additive Kueppers Solutions
Industrial combustion technology specialist Kueppers Solutions has harnessed metal additive manufacturing to develop a mixing unit for natural gas burners which reduces nitrogen oxide emissions.
The company is partnering with GKN Additive to produce the mixing units which, because of their intelligent design, can only be manufactured with 3D printing technology. Kueppers sought the assistance of RWTH Aachen University when selecting its partner for this effort, with GKN’s experience in series production across a range of industries standing out. The partnership was announced at Formnext.
So far, GKN Additive has leveraged its selective laser melting capacity to produce the mixing units but going forward is set to implement a different additive process. The company intends to switch to HP’s Metal Jet technology to mass produce the second generation, believing the application will become more cost-effective, and hopes to be able to make the transition between manufacturing processes in around one year. A material is also to be jointly developed specific to the application.
The partners believe by producing this application at mass they can make a contribution to addressing climate change by reducing nitrogen oxide emissions. They plan to update thousands of outdated gas burners with the new additively manufacturing mixing unit.
“Climate change challenges all of us to think of new ways to substantially reduce emissions,” commented Guido Degen, President of Additive Manufacturing at GKN Powder Metallurgy. “Kueppers’ mixing unit has made a significant contribution to preserving resources and with our experience across the whole AM value stream, we will drive the industrialisation of this highly innovative product. Our common goal is to open up the market by upgrading thousands of outdated industrial burner systems with 3D printed mixing units.”
“Typically, we are used to explaining our project in detail to potential partners and still tend to encounter obstacles,” offered Jens te Kaat, CEO of Kueppers Solutions. “With GKN, it was the other way around: their team was the fastest to understand the potential. GKN’s ‘let’s do it’ mentality corresponds with our own attitude.”
GKN Additive is exhibiting at Formnext in Hall 12.1 Stand C51 until November 22nd.
