SLM Solutions has started a cooperation with MAHLE, one of the leading automotive suppliers and development partners from Stuttgart, Germany. MAHLE will utilize SLM Solution’s systems to empower OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to fulfill their need for metal Additive Manufacturing in serial production. By joining forces, the two companies are improving the speed and quality of automotive components in both prototype and serial production.
The components will be printed with aluminum and stainless-steel alloys, which are remarkably resilient, corrosion-resistant, and topology optimized to reduce overall weight. Structures that are too complex for conventional manufacturing methods are easily produced while still adhering to the strict quality standards of the automotive industry.
“3D printing for mobility just makes sense,” commented Sam O’Leary, CEO of SLM Solutions. “Our cooperation with MAHLE revolutionizes the production of automotive components by making them better, stronger, and lighter, not to mention more climate-neutral.”
Manufacturing on Demand
MAHLE’s strategic 3D printing center in Stuttgart will play a crucial part in strengthening its role as the leading development partner for OEMs by revolutionizing the pace of prototype production. The new center will reduce production time from several months to just a few days, thereby simultaneously accelerating the drive towards climate-neutral mobility. The focus will rest primarily on components from the fields of thermal management, mechatronics, and electronics.
“The development of new systems and components has to be much faster today than it was a few years ago, especially when it comes to solutions for sustainable CO2-neutral drive systems,” said Michael Frick, Chairman of the MAHLE Management Board (ad interim) and CFO. “With our new 3D printing center and SLM Solutions as a technology partner, MAHLE is once again stepping up the pace in its strategic fields, for example, E-mobility.”
This collaboration formalizes the existing cooperation between the two companies. Around the world, an estimated 120 SLM Solutions systems for automotive applications are already running at OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. A dedicated Application Engineer from SLM Solutions will support MAHLE at every step of the journey, from prototyping to series production and the production of manufacturing equipment.
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Author: Andrea Gambini
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