Materialise case study: Magics honeycomb structure lightens gears
Challenging conventional manufacturing with 3D printing
Gears and sprockets are everywhere: many everyday objects and machines use them. From analog clocks and drilling machines to cars and bicycles, they can be found in various applications in different industries. But how can you improve parts that have been around for thousands of years? A challenge with which Mario Franchi, Application Engineer for Additive Manufacturing at Il Sentiero, went knocking on the door of Flam3D member Materialise.
De honingraatstructuur maakte het mogelijk om het gewicht te verminderen zonder de sterkte of printbaarheid in gevaar te brengen. Bovendien was het makkelijk om de juiste dikte van de wanden in te stellen en de interne holten van de honingraat open te laten, wat ook bijdroeg aan het gewichtsverlies.
Il Sentiero International Campus, known for their expertise in the use of additive manufacturing (AM), carried out the project with the aim of reducing the weight of gears and sprocket systems. Using Magics, design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) and the honeycomb structure, Mario Franchi managed to make the sprockets and chainrings 46% lighter than standard models.
The honeycomb structure made it possible to reduce weight without compromising strength or printability. Moreover, it was easy to set the right thickness of the walls and leave the internal cavities of the honeycomb open, which also contributed to the weight loss.
A standard metal gear weighs 261 grams. 
A DfAM gear by Il Sentiero with a honeycomb structure weighs 103 grams.
Materialise Magics allows parts to be easily customised and analysed, making the design process much simpler and more efficient. This allows users to express themselves better and create unique designs not possible with standard production methods. According to Franci, Magics is a powerful tool that gave him the opportunity to create something new and the honeycomb structure opens up many possibilities for future projects.
Would you like to read more about how the challenge came about and the results? Then be sure to take a look via this link.
A standard metal sprocket weighs 64 grams. 
A DfAM sprocket by Il Sentiero with a honeycomb structure weighs 30 grams.