Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - April 2023 - 30

Deere 3D-prints fuel valves for
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING FEATURE
TRACTORS
John Deere's metal 3D-printed thermal diverter valve reportedly
is the first technical application to be mass-produced using the
HP Metal Jet process.
Binder jetting makes 3D metal printing scalable for industrial series production,
says HP, which launched its Metal Jet S100 in September 2022.
More than 4,000 valves have been shipped from GKN to the John
Deere tractor factory in Mannheim, Germany, for final assembly.
The new thermal diverter valve for tractors - the
company's first 3D-printed metal part to go into production
models - takes the process one step further.
HP's Metal Jet was a key enabler, Mueller said. " Due to
this innovative process, the costs per part were reduced
and the performance increased, " he said.
The part is smaller and uses less material than a
conventionally manufactured valve and reportedly is
up to 50% less expensive. Product engineers at John
Deere worked with manufacturing experts at GKN to
improve the design of the fuel valve for 3D printing.
For example, internal channels are rounder and
smoother to improve fuel flow.
With Metal Jet, the metal powder is " glued together "
with the liquid binding agent, layer upon layer, until
a green part is created. The still-fragile part then is
sintered in industrial-grade ovens common with conventional
powder metallurgy to become a high-quality,
durable metallic component. As a sinter-based process,
the finished parts have characteristics suitable
for real-world applications, GKN says.
30 April 2023
John Deere uses computer models to create complex parts layer-by-layer without
the use of production tools.
" Industrial companies in all sectors can benefit from the advantages
of additive manufacturing techniques with metal binder jetting, "
said Roland Pahl, VP commercial Europe at GKN Additive.
" Especially if they are under high pressure to innovate and have
reached their limits with conventional technologies such as metal
investment casting. "
John Deere's thermal diverter valve underwent rigorous testing to
ensure the required part quality, Mueller said, noting the valve is
functional - i.e., maintains fuel temperatures without affecting engine
performance - even in extreme weather conditions. More than
4,000 valves have been shipped from GKN to the John Deere tractor
factory for final assembly.
" The thermal diverting valve is a result of a targeted John Deere
strategy and just one of the many innovative 3D printing solutions to
come in the future, " he said.
TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: JOHN DEERE; HP; JOHN DEERE; JOHN DEERE
Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - April 2023

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