HRE Wheels and GE Additive – via its Addworks division – have unveiled the world’s first 3D-printed titanium wheel. The HRE3D+, as it’s called, is a prototype made with an advanced titanium powder and created with Electron Beam Melting (EBM) technology, which uses an electron beam to melt and fuse fine layers of titanium powder into a solid piece.
The process deposits a bed of fine titanium powder a layer at a time, resulting in very little wasted material, unlike traditional subtractive methods like machining from a solid forging.
Comparatively, 80% of material is removed from a 45 kg forged block of aluminium in creating a traditional aluminium monoblok wheel, while the 3D build only removes 5% of the material used. The temporary support material is recycled, further improving efficiency.
Following the removal of this surplus, the mating surfaces and threads are CNC machined post-printing, to ensure tight tolerances of assembly. The wheel is then hand finished and cleaned, and because titanium has excellent corrosion resistance, the wheel needs no additional powder-coating or clear coat layer protection.
The HRE3D+ was produced in five separate sections on two EBM machines and then combined using a custom centre section and bolted to a carbon-fibre rim using titanium fasteners.
The companies say that the goal of the HRE3D+ project was to test the capabilities of additive manufacturing in a practical application, essentially exploring new wheel design technologies as well as seeing how advanced materials like titanium can be harnessed to create complex designs.
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i’m more interested to see how to wash it
Youngsters don’t care, can always pay RM 16 per rim wash fee.
Hemmm… Very dangerous stuff to fit.
looks like lego, even though its titanium, lets hope its strong enough
The design isnt appealing…..