Hybrid Piston

At RAPID + TCT 2019 in Detroit, AddUp and BeAM Machines displayed a concept for a high performance piston head manufactured with two technologies of metal additive manufacturing: Laser Beam Melting (LBM) and Directed Energy Deposition (DED).

LBM is used to create parts that exceed the performance of traditional piston heads by introducing lattice structures to reduce weight and internal oil channels for increased performance. The FormUp 350 from AddUp printed multiple concept piston heads without the need for support material. DED was then used to create the rings and top section in a different, high performance material that increases wear resistance. Utilizing the 5-axis build platform of the BeAM Magic 800, the rings were deposited fast and free of support structures.