3D Printing of Large-volume Screw Shafts for Compressors for the Construction Industry

German Construction Company Use Metal 3D Printers from Eplus3D to Directly Manufactre Large-volume Screw Shafts for Compressors.

This case study describes the successful collaboration between LUMO, a renowned additive metal manufacturing service provider based in Neresheim, Germany, and Eplus3D, an international company with over 300 employees serving various industries such as aerospace, automotive, toolmaking, and mechanical engineering. The goal of the partnership was to manufacture prototypes of compressor shafts for screw compressors to be used in the construction industry. The components had an exceptional size of 100x100x400 mm and consisted of complex freeform surfaces. Traditional manufacturing methods were expensive and associated with long lead times for these components. This case study focuses on the approach where 3D printing was identified as the key technology for the production of the components. The advantages of 3D printing in terms of lead times, design flexibility, and material selection are extensively described.