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Nov 04, 2024

DMZ Engineering pioneers use of MJF for structural automotive engine parts | VoxelMatters - The heart of additive manufacturing

Italy-based DMZ Engineering was founded in 2018 by three mechanical engineering students who were passionate about automotive and motorsports and wanted to make their mark through the creation of

Italy-based DMZ Engineering was founded in 2018 by three mechanical engineering students who were passionate about automotive and motorsports and wanted to make their mark through the creation of efficient racing exhaust systems. Now, just five years after it was founded, the company has not only carved out a prominent position for itself in this area, it has also become an enthusiastic adopter of 3D printing technologies like Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) and SLM for motorsport applications.

Perhaps “enthusiastic adopter” is a bit of an understatement: the DMZ Engineering team is doing some unprecedented things using MJF 3D printing. For example, it created an intake manifold for the 500 Abarth’s 1.4-liter T-Jet engine using HP’s MJF platform and PA12 material. As DMZ Engineering points out: this application marks the first time a structural engine component for a vehicle has been made using MJF 3D printing.

In the design of the intake manifold, DMZ Engineering took advantage of MJF’s ability to physically reproduce complex geometries, integrating optimized fluid dynamics in the engine’s charge exchange system. The application has understandably generated interest from automotive and motorsport companies, but is far from the only project the Italian startup has worked on.

Other notable projects include a 3D printed intercooler with turning vane technology, which was developed in cooperation with HP and Italian 3D printing service Treddy. The intercooler, made from a combination of aluminum and PA12, integrates MJF 3D printed inlet and outlet tanks with flow deflectors built in to the design. According to DMZ Engineering these flow deflectors “reach the interface section with the radiator mass, optimizing the distribution of airflow over the entire heat exchange surface.”

Currently, DMZ Engineering is also in the process of validating tests for an airbox for the 124 Abarth roadster. The intake manifold, also made using 3D printing, is reportedly nearly ready for commercialization and builds on the success of the 500 Abarth intake manifold. The group is also developing 3D printed intake manifolds for VAG Group vehicles using MJF, which are now in the stages of structural and computational fluid dynamics simulation.

In addition to HP’s MJF technology, DMZ Engineering is also exploring the use of metal AM, including Meltio’s directed energy deposition technology and more recently Nikon SLM Solution’s technology. Specifically, the team is developing an exhaust manifold for the 1.4 T-Jet engine made using metal AM—reportedly the first of its kind (see image here). DMZ is now working with Meltio to test the thermal, mechanical and fatigue resistance of 3D printed components, while also beginning to explore the use of SLM in cooperation with Nikon SLM Solutions.

Ultimately, the company, which is based just outside of Rome, is doing incredible things with 3D printing with partners like Treddy, HP, Meltio and Nikon SLM Solutions. We’re eager to see how their use of MJF for structural engine parts paves the way for greater innovations in the polymer AM world.