Altair Case Studies Reimagining Piston Design with Additive Manufacturing: A HardMarque Case Study

	Reimagining Piston Design with Additive Manufacturing: A HardMarque Case Study Altair

Reimagining Piston Design with Additive Manufacturing: A HardMarque Case Study

Altair

Technology Category	Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
Applicable Industries	Automotive Equipment & Machinery
Applicable Functions	Product Research & Development
Use Cases	Additive Manufacturing Rapid Prototyping
Challenge	HardMarque, a digital design and manufacturing studio, was faced with the challenge of reimagining the current piston design process. The goal was to manufacture a piston that was not only lighter than the current versions but also equally as strong. This was a significant challenge as it required a balance between weight reduction and strength maintenance, which is a critical factor in the performance and efficiency of automotive engines. The challenge also extended to the integration of the new design with additive manufacturing equipment, a process that required precision and compatibility with the chosen material, titanium. Read More
About Customer	HardMarque is a digital design and manufacturing studio based in Australia. The company is focused on creating 'Future Factories', additive-manufacturing facilities that concentrate on just-in-time production and delivery of custom, made-to-order parts ordered through the Internet. HardMarque believes that this type of innovation is crucial to the future of manufacturing in Australia, helping the country break into new markets by emerging from the constraints of traditional manufacturing. The company's director, Nicholas Hardman, is a long-time CAD user who has found great value in the use of solidThinking Inspire and Evolve for concept generation and design refinement. Read More
Solution	HardMarque incorporated a process that utilized both solidThinking Inspire and Evolve for concept development and design refinement. The design process began with an existing piston for benchmarking. The measurements of the piston were used to create an initial design space in Evolve. After the design space was created, the model was exported to Inspire for concept generation. Accurate loading conditions were applied to the piston design, considering forces from expanding combustion gas and lateral force from oil pressure against the cylinder wall. The ideal shape for the piston was generated based on these loading scenarios. The shape was then imported back into Evolve for interpretation into the final piston design, which was manufactured using titanium additive manufacturing. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

Applicable Industries

Automotive

Equipment & Machinery

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Additive Manufacturing

Rapid Prototyping

Challenge

HardMarque, a digital design and manufacturing studio, was faced with the challenge of reimagining the current piston design process. The goal was to manufacture a piston that was not only lighter than the current versions but also equally as strong. This was a significant challenge as it required a balance between weight reduction and strength maintenance, which is a critical factor in the performance and efficiency of automotive engines. The challenge also extended to the integration of the new design with additive manufacturing equipment, a process that required precision and compatibility with the chosen material, titanium.

About Customer

HardMarque is a digital design and manufacturing studio based in Australia. The company is focused on creating 'Future Factories', additive-manufacturing facilities that concentrate on just-in-time production and delivery of custom, made-to-order parts ordered through the Internet. HardMarque believes that this type of innovation is crucial to the future of manufacturing in Australia, helping the country break into new markets by emerging from the constraints of traditional manufacturing. The company's director, Nicholas Hardman, is a long-time CAD user who has found great value in the use of solidThinking Inspire and Evolve for concept generation and design refinement.

Solution

HardMarque incorporated a process that utilized both solidThinking Inspire and Evolve for concept development and design refinement. The design process began with an existing piston for benchmarking. The measurements of the piston were used to create an initial design space in Evolve. After the design space was created, the model was exported to Inspire for concept generation. Accurate loading conditions were applied to the piston design, considering forces from expanding combustion gas and lateral force from oil pressure against the cylinder wall. The ideal shape for the piston was generated based on these loading scenarios. The shape was then imported back into Evolve for interpretation into the final piston design, which was manufactured using titanium additive manufacturing.

Impact #1	The use of solidThinking Inspire and Evolve in the design process resulted in a successful redesign of the piston that met the challenge requirements. The new piston design was not only lighter but also maintained the strength of the original design. The organic shapes created in Inspire were perfectly suited for additive manufacturing, facilitating easy export and integration with the manufacturing equipment. The successful completion of this project has led to increased efficiency in HardMarque's workflow. The company is now working on a second version of the piston that will be even lighter, with a target weight of 250g. This project has also paved the way for further testing and commercialization of the pistons in HardMarque’s 'Future Factory'.

Impact #1

The use of solidThinking Inspire and Evolve in the design process resulted in a successful redesign of the piston that met the challenge requirements. The new piston design was not only lighter but also maintained the strength of the original design. The organic shapes created in Inspire were perfectly suited for additive manufacturing, facilitating easy export and integration with the manufacturing equipment. The successful completion of this project has led to increased efficiency in HardMarque's workflow. The company is now working on a second version of the piston that will be even lighter, with a target weight of 250g. This project has also paved the way for further testing and commercialization of the pistons in HardMarque’s 'Future Factory'.

Benefit #1	Development of a new piston design that is 23.5% lighter than the original design.
Benefit #2	The final design weighed 289g, compared to the 378g original.
Benefit #3	Easy export and integration with additive manufacturing equipment.

Benefit #1

Development of a new piston design that is 23.5% lighter than the original design.

Benefit #2

The final design weighed 289g, compared to the 378g original.

Benefit #3

Easy export and integration with additive manufacturing equipment.

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Overview

Reimagining Piston Design with Additive Manufacturing: A HardMarque Case Study

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit