WWW.FLUIDPOWERWORLD.COM
IS THE FUTURE OF
FLUID POWER? BY: Ken Korane, Contributing Editor and Mary C. Gannon, Editor
Three years ago, the big buzz heading into IFPE 2017 was the 3D printed excavator — dubbed Project AME — which was a joint project between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), in collaboration with CCEFP university student designers from the University of Illinois, the University of Minnesota, and Georgia Tech, as well as AEM and the NFPA. They worked to create novel designs for the cab, stick and heat exchanger that were all printed at the Department of Energy’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Fast forward three years, and many fluid power manufacturers are dabbling in additive manufacturing, some more than others. Key components designed with additive manufacturing include valves, manifolds, heat exchangers, and more.
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3D Printing 7-19_FPW_v4.indd 6
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www.fluidpowerworld.com
7/15/19 12:08 PM
