Porsche's 911 GT2 RS will have 3D-printed pistons for its parts. Although the car parts are not ready yet for production, the company's conducted test revealed that they are lighter, run cooler, and more powerful compared to the normally forged pistons.
Pistons must be both lightweight & stiff to minimize forces & withstand pressure generated during combusion. This one was #3D printed on the Studio System for $271 vs. $568 using CNC methods. https://t.co/w00wOIa0C5 pic.twitter.com/6Oai1a4ta7 — Desktop Metal (@DesktopMetal) July 10, 2020
The engineers used a high-precision Trumpf TruPrint 3000 laser 3D printer to create the pistons--it was also used to build the parts that are 0.02 to 0.1-millimeter layer with the help of fine metal powder with accurate, powerful lasers. Porsche's material is called M174+, a propriety aluminum alloy. Mahle, the automaker's partner, and parts manufacturer developed the material. The 1,200 layers of fused alloy, which each piston is composed of, took roughly 12 hours to manufacture, luckily the car company was able to print them in batches.
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