Industry’s First Technology to Use Magnesium Alloys in Wire-Laser Metal 3D Printer Developed by Multi-sector Consortium in Japan
June 12 2024 - 10:10PM
Business Wire
Mitsubishi Electric, Kumamoto University, TOHO
KINZOKU and JAXA pave the way for producing lightweight,
fuel-saving industrial components with highly processable magnesium
alloys
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503), Magnesium Research
Center (MRC) of Kumamoto University, TOHO KINZOKU CO., LTD., and
the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced today the
3D printing industry’s first high-precision additive manufacturing
(AM) technology for using magnesium alloys in a wire-laser metal 3D
printer via the directed energy deposition (DED) method, marking a
significant leap forward in industrial manufacturing. Unlocking the
potential to process magnesium alloys with unparalleled precision
and complexity will pave the way for rocket, automobile, aircraft,
etc. components that are lighter and stronger than those made of
iron or aluminum, leading to improved fuel efficiency and, in the
case of rockets, reduced production costs. In addition, the
envisioned production processes based on a wire-laser metal 3D
printer will be more energy efficient and generate fewer greenhouse
gas emissions compared to conventional processes, promising to
deliver low-impact solutions for increased sustainability.
Since September 2022, the consortium members have been
conducting joint research (Research on Laser Wire DED Method AM
Process Technology Using Magnesium Alloy Wire) under the framework
of JAXA’s Innovative Future Space Transport System Research and
Development Program, working to reduce the weight of rockets and
thereby drastically cut costs. In addition to rockets, the need for
weight reduction has increased in recent years due to factors
including the shift to electric vehicles and the growing demand for
commercial aircraft, so magnesium alloys are attracting attention
in many fields.
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