Using New Technology to Shorten Products Period

Science and technology constitute the primary productive force. The fourth industrial revolution characterized by Internet industrialization, industrial intelligentization and industrial integration is currently reshaping people’s life. 3D printing, an effective combination of Internet and manufacturing, is bringing about an overwhelming revolution to traditional manufacturing.

On Kunshan Commercial Vehicle Exhibition, Yuchai Group showed its latest products and technologies, among which 3D printing was unquestionably a highlight.

With lengthy efforts, Yuchai gains achievements in 3D printing

Ou Hongrong, Mold Design Engineer of Technology Department of Yuchai Group, says, the Corporation tried to interrupt traditional technology and started to explore for 3D printing technology as early as in 2006. After that, the company invested RMB 300 million to build up a quick-manufacturing workshop of 7000 square meters.

With years of efforts, the 3D printing technology of Yuchai is becoming increasingly mature. In 2014, Yuchai Group and China Academy of Machinery Science and Technology co-founded a national key laboratory-Yuchai Quick Manufacturing Base, applying 3D printing to the research and development activities as well as manufacturing in new products. Today, Yuchai develops its new products with 3D printing, which will be applied to more areas in the future to lay a foundation for quick manufacturing of more advanced, well-structured products.

What are the advantages of 3D printing compared with traditional technology?

Much said, but what are the advantages of 3D printing in practical application? Relax and allow me to explain in detail.

Ou Hongrong concluded the advantages of 3D printing in three aspects.

First, short development period. In traditional process, a 3D model needs to be built for a certain product before making grinder and producing the product. With 3D printing applied, grinder making is eliminated. After the 3D model is transformed, it can be printed out directly with a 3D printer, contracting period for product developing.

It is learned that in the old process, it would take Yuchai 8 months to make a new product, while that time can be reduced to 3 months with 3D printing in action.

Second, reduced cost. This is about grinder. Traditionally, making a mold would cost some money, which could now be saved with 3D printing, reducing the cost to one third of that in the past.

Do not try to underestimate that sum of money. According to an engineer, it would cost Yuchai hundreds of thousands yuan to make a grinder for the diesel engine body in the past.

Third, improved production efficiency. No grinder needed any more, the duration for Yuchai to make a sand mould contracted from 100 days in the past to around 30 days now. More importantly, with 3D printing technology, complicated details in product design is now able to be shown to meet the demands of design to the largest possible extent.

For instance, some tiny pipelines, narrow grooves, thin walls in the engine impossible to be shown in traditional techniques are now displayed in accurate measurement in sand mold with just one trial done by 3D printing.

Find800.cn found on this Exhibition that three of the dozen of Yuchai engines were natural gas engines, taking a proportion of one third. Moreover, faced with increasingly strict regulations on vehicle emission, Yuchai also presented a Euro Ⅳ standard engine. Notably, besides traditional internal combustion engines, Yuchai also brought with two hybrid power engine and full electric engine. Its generosity shown in research and development, undoubtedly, guaranteed the competitiveness of Yuchai products.

Statistics have shown that Yuchai has been making increasing annual budgets for its scientific and technological research. Last year, the number was RMB 1.6 billion, 5% of its sales volume. 3D printing is just another masterpiece created by Yuchai with its investment in high technology.