Firefighters' safety relies on higher quality equipment, especially during wildfire season (grassland or forest fires caused by dry and hot conditions). A fast and effective water jet is, of course, indispensable. How can SLS 3D printing technology help speed up the manufacturing process of pump impellers three times faster than traditional prototyping?
Image Source:https://pixabay.com/en/users/skeeze-272447/
The enormous losses caused by natural disasters are well known, especially dangerous forest fires or wildfires, which not only cause injuries, burns, asphyxiation, and even death to humans, but also affect animals in nature and can even lead to the deterioration of natural resources. Wildfires also incur costs. According to the Forest Research Institute, the direct loss per hectare can be as high as $5,000, while indirect ecological losses can reach $25,000.
Image Source:https://pixabay.com/en/forest-fire-wildfire-blaze-3747355/
Rescue teams and fire brigades often use floating water pumps to combat wildfires, which can individually draw large amounts of water, approximately 1200 dm3 per minute. Therefore, improving the function of water pumps is very important, and this requires linking their physical properties (such as pressure and efficiency) with the engine's power (e.g., engine speed).
To address this engineering challenge, the shape of the impeller blades of the water pump needed to be redesigned. In a typical prototyping process, engineers have to follow eight consecutive work processes, including 2D documentation, followed by casting and post-processing. However, 3D printing helps reduce this to just two processes, making it much faster. By omitting machining, polishing, and drilling to create 3D models and directly completing them with 3D printing, the production process of parts can be significantly accelerated.
The SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) 3D printing technology used by the Sinterit Lisa 3D printer helps achieve this goal. Printed components have a smooth surface texture, and due to the physical strength of SLS powder forming and its mechanical function, it can actually provide testing for water pumps and determine the final appearance of the impeller.
In this case, a 30% improvement in the production process of the impeller makes a huge difference, reducing from 8 production steps to 2, while ensuring printing accuracy. Without the need for support material or additional post-processing such as removal and grinding, the Sinterit Lisa becomes an excellent choice for water pump manufacturers. If any design changes or rapid prototyping are needed, direct modification and adjustment in 3D software are definitely easy, time-saving, and cost-effective.
We are happy to share examples of various 3D printing applications in industry and daily life. These changes not only contribute to technological advancement and human development but also help rescue from disasters and improve the environment. In addition, Sinterit Lisa has also been practically applied in medical development. If you are interested in related content, you can refer to our other articles. If you also have needs for product development or components, you are welcome to refer to our 3D printers or high-quality printing services. All the latest news will be posted on our Facebook page, so feel free to follow us to stay updated!
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Original Source: https://www.sinterit.com/use-case/rotor-prototyping-how-sls-3d-printing-helps-to-fight-the-wildfires/