There is a widespread belief that desktop 3D printers are suitable only for prototyping, whereas for "serious" three-dimensional printing you need big investments. However, if you choose the most appropriate printer for your project, you will quickly see the countless application possibilities of desktop 3D printing with clear resource benefits. The retailer Creat3D specializes in this, with clients who use its printers for the production of tools, fixing kit, moulds, casings for delicate technology and much more. Some 3D printers can generate greater power to weight ratio than aluminium. The best example is the new 3D printer Mark Two Composite by the manufacturer MarkForged, which achieves great results by mixing nylon as a base material with the possibility of adding Kevlar, fibreglass or carbon fibre for enhanced functionality. A chain link printed on the Mark One with reinforced Carbon Fibre, created by the Olin College of Engineering, supported approximately 10 tonnes before failing, at a cost less than £20.
The range of materials that can be used in 3D printing could be significantly expanded thanks to the University of Nottingham. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has awarded the University a £ 3.5 million grant to develop new materials for 3D printing. As part of the project, researchers will establish a series of 3D printing materials libraries. The main objective of the project is to eliminate an important problem in the world of additive manufacturing: the seemingly unbreakable link between materials and their associated printing techniques. Owing to advanced screening technology, researchers will be able to determine very quickly whether a material can be printed and what its properties are. The team plans to investigate the formulation of materials for inkjet printing, paste extrusion and hot melt extrusion (HME).
Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (MES) announced on 29 June that they have completed the world’s first ME-GIE ethane-operated two-stroke diesel engine. The engines will be for propulsion of three ethylene carriers, which primarily will carry liquid ethane as cargo.
The Mitsui-MAN B&W 7G50ME-C9.5-GIE is the third engine in a series of three for installation in three LEG (liquefied ethylene gas) carriers of 36,000 m3 for Hartmann Schiffahrt of Germany and Ocean Yield of Norway, being built at Sinopacific Offshore Engineering (SOE) in China.
MAN Diesel & Turbo reports that ethane was chosen as fuel, in preference to HFO, due to its more competitive pricing. The ME-GI engine represents the culmination of many years’ work and gives ship-owners and operators the option of utilising fuel or gas depending on relative price and availability, as well as environmental considerations, since the carbon dioxide emissions profile of ethane is considerably lower. Also, the engines will be set up such that they can easily be converted to run on methane as an alternative, as per the owner’s wish.
MAN Diesel & Turbo currently has eight ME-GIE engines on order.
18 months ago, the central IT department of the BMW Group began searching for a new CAD/CAM system. The goal was to find a CAD/CAM solution with a high level of coverage for the many different NC application areas in the specialist departments. In the autumn of 2014, the BMW Group invited OPEN MIND and five other CAD/CAM manufacturers to take part in benchmark tests, with OPEN MIND coming out on top thanks to the technical and economic benefits of hyperMILL, a modular CAM solution that integrates a comprehensive concept for 2D, 3D as well as 5axis milling/mill turning and machining operations like high-speed and high-performance cutting (HSC and HPC) in one interface. Complete machining with just one CAM software and one postprocessor for all turning and milling processes results in integrated processes and minimised machining times.
Finnish engineering company Wärtsila is to power the UK’s first dual-fuel ferries being built for Scotland-based Caledonian Maritime Assets (CMAL), the company said. Under the contract signed between the duo in December 2015, Wärtsila is also to supply extended engineering and site support services.
Wärtsila will supply each of the ships with two 6-cylinder main engines capable of operating on either LNG or conventional diesel fuels, two 6-cylinder auxiliary engines, horizontally offset gearboxes, shaft lines, seals and bearings, and controllable pitch propeller systems. The 102 metres long RO-RO ships are being built by Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited at a shipyard in Glasgow, and are scheduled to enter service during the second half of 2018 and will operate on various routes along the west coast of Scotland.
First dedicated turbocharger from ABB Turbocharging designed specifically for small bore medium-speed marine auxiliary diesel engine platforms with up to 2MW power output.
MXP has been designed to fulfil the specific needs of the marine auxiliary market in terms of operation, efficiency and maintenance. The dedicated technology enables optimum operation and performance for auxiliary engine applications, while the robust and yet simplistic design allows for easy maintenance, based on a self-service condition-based maintenance (CBM) model, which translates into lower maintenance costs for the end customer. Essential to the customer-centric design is the user-friendly maintenance concept of MXP that is supported with a digital self-service application, giving crew members the flexibility to independently maintain the turbocharger wherever and whenever necessary, using standard tools while the vessel is operational.
The MAN V35/44G TS is a superior efficient spark ignited two-stage turbocharged gas engine. The MAN V35/44G TS is available in 12V and 20V-cylinder versions with electrical outputs of 6,9 MW up to 12,4 MW. In single cycle applications, the MAN V35/44G TS reaches a mechanical efficiency up to 50.7%.
The two-stage version of the 35/44G TS grants additional power and efficiency, means a higher power density and hence a more compact plant design.
The idea behind two-stage turbocharging is simple: two turbochargers upstream from the engine, one after the other, which results in the significant increase in efficiency and output. For this concept, we use two strong in-house products: The continuous improvement of our well-known gas engines MAN 35/44G, combined with MAN designed and manufactured two-stage turbocharger unit.
The turbochargers are the core of this innovation and MAN Diesel & Turbo is the only large engine manufacturer that designs and builds its own turbochargers. This enables us to achieve the perfect matching of engine and turbochargers leading to the superior performance of the MAN 35/44G TS.
The tanker valued at 40.8 million euros, intended for the transport of chemical and oil products, is 184 metres long, 32.20 metres wide and has a load-bearing capacity of 49,500 metric tons. It is powered by a MAN B & W with a capacity of 8000 kW, which can reach the speed of 14.5 knots. The ribbon was cut by the owner and the Management Board member Danko Končar, who stated that the Trogir Maritime company was leasing these tankers to ship operators at a daily rate of between 7,500 and 9,500 dollars.
Federal Mogul has developed the cooling of pistons, which enables them to operate at an engine temperature more than 100°C higher than the current limit. Keri Westbrooke, Engineering and Technology Director at Federal Mogul, explains that this enables an increase of 5 % in energy efficiency. The company believes that it will start the mass production of such pistons by 2021.
The Wärtsilä 31, an engine which was presented last year, is the most efficient four-stroke diesel engine in the world. After being entered into the Guinness Book of Records, it has received the Marine Engines Award.
Since the engine is manufactured in three versions, several types of fuel may be used for it, from light to heavy diesel fuels of different quality. It is intended to be a driving engine for ships which require a power of approximately 4.2 to 9.8 MW. Another advantage is that it requires maintenance every 8000 hours, as opposed to other marine engines, which require maintenance already after 2000 hours.