From Renault Trucks We receive a press release in which the French manufacturer's truck division announces that a team made up of several designers of engineers has been working for the last few months on how to include metal additive manufacturing processes in their engines, looking for everything, get increase performance. Undoubtedly a new example of how all this type of new technologies, which until now were very futuristic, every day become more common and interesting for all types of companies.
This work has been carried out by the Center for Motor Studies from Renault's truck division. Thanks to this work, today we can talk about the engine that you can see just above these lines, a prototype engine ITD 5, a block of four cylinders capable of complying with the demanding European Euro-6 anti-pollution regulations and which, as its managers comment, has been manufactured using exclusively metal 3D printing manufacturing techniques.
Renault Trucks manufactures its first fully 3D printed truck engine prototype.
The objective of all this work was to be able to verify the positive impact that 3D printing could offer in the manufacture of engines of this size and weight. As explained damien lemson, Renault Trucks project manager:
Additive manufacturing has reduced the weight of a four-cylinder engine by 25%, about 120 kilograms more or less. Tests carried out have demonstrated the reliability of the 3D printed engine components. This is not cosmetic.
Additive manufacturing overcomes limitations and unleashes the creativity of engineers. This process offers a cutting edge insight to the drivers of tomorrow and will be more functional, lightweight and therefore could provide optimal performance.