Additive Manufacturing
GoodFabs can offer designed and manufactured exhaust systems integrating additive manufacturing (otherwise known as direct metal laser sintering or DMLS) components in a wide range of metals, including lightweight titanium alloys, stainless steels to very high temperature and corrosion resistant nickel alloys such as inconel, all with the highest level of accuracy possible.
DMLS is also referred to as 3D printing using metals. The 3D printing industry is also known as additive manufacturing.
DMLS technology is widely used throughout a development phase of the exhaust systems and increasingly in race parts themselves. Where conventional casting methods often require an investment in tooling, this process allows us to make small batches - or even one-off different components - without the need of any tooling investments.
In laser sintering technology, the components are built layer by layer using powdered metal, only sintering the actual geometry and support structures needed, virtually eliminating any waste materials.
Both the internal and external surfaces are built simultaneously, leading to a high level of accuracy and virtually no warping.
DMLS can not only provide the possibility to create very complex shapes, which would be very hard to cast using conventional methods, but can also integrate certain sensor bosses or other special features without any extra welding or assembly operations.
GoodFabs works with several DMLS companies located around Europe and has a good knowledge of who does what best.
We can also advise on when and where to use DMLS parts, how they might be joined to fabricated, machined or cast components and the welding techniques most likely to give a good result.
Our in-house machining department has all the latest equipment and experience in post-machining laser sintered components which allow us to create any geometry and machine the parts with sealing faces, bolt threads to allow the sintered parts to be fully functional parts without any welding operations.