Optimering av ett hydraulblock med hänsyn till additiv tillverkning. : Hur BAE Systems Hägglunds AB kan använda sig AM för att förbättra delar i sina fordon.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a method of production that has been under steady development during the last decades. It has proven to be a technology with great potential due to benefits such as short lead times, the ability to utilize various materials and a completely different set of design constrictions. Many different industries use the technology to various degrees. One example is 3D-printing plastic models of components which can be used as prototypes. Still, there is a desire to use AM more directly by making parts that are made of metal. A part created with AM that is made from metal can be produced faster and with a completely different design than would traditionally be possible. This thesis, for BAE Systems Hägglunds AB (BAE), aimed to explore the possibility of creating a component that is featured in one of their vehicles with the AM technology of powder bed fusion (PBF). PBF has seen much development and is suitable for smaller objects with higher detail. One component that fulfilled these requirements was a hydraulic manifold which was used in the vehicle and would be a great example of what would be possible to achieve with AM. BAE was interested in what benefits, possibilities, and changes to the workflow AM would bring with it. To answer this, research was done and the hydraulic manifold was redesigned, adapting to the constraints of AM but also implementing aspects to reduce the pressure drop and reduce the weight by topology optimization (TO). During the redesign, ongoing conversations were had with machinists and a supplier to print this design so as to eventually see how the post-processing would be performed. The redesign resulted in a new hydraulic manifold that would be swappable with the already existing block. It was designed with a new material in mind going from aluminum to steel and with the TO it was still reduced a little in weight. The design featured rerouted channels for the hydraulic fluid to experience less pressure drop and with a new channel profile to be more printable. The thesis concludes with recommendations on what final steps should be taken when the part is printed. The printing and machining of the design will be done towards the end of the summer by other people. This since there were no earlier timeslots available to have the part printed.