Casting cores for Cadillac's fully electrical CELESTIQ

voxeljet AG and Tooling & Equipment International (TEI), USA, are extending their cooperation. TEI uses one of the largest 3D sand printers to produce casting cores for General Motors, which are used for the volume production of large-sized and light-weight structural components of the Cadillac CELESTIQ.

Using additive manufacturing to develop and construct assembly parts puts OEM manufacturers into a position where they can realise wholly novel, functionally optimised constructions. Companies also profit from fast integration of the printed cores into existing production lines.

voxeljet and TEI have been cooperating since 2018. For production, the supplier uses three voxeljet VX4000 models, which have a structural volume of 4 x 2 x 1 metres and are among the largest 3D sand printers in the world. With the third system, the company was able to increase their production capacity to 2.5 million litres of sand per year. This step has enabled TEI to now realise further complex projects and produce light-weight structural components for the undercarriage of the fully electrical Cadillac CELESTIQ.

The complex structure of the undercarriage consists of six large sand-cast aluminium parts, the inner cores of which are produced by additive manufacturing. This production step makes it possible to add stiffening properties to the hollow profiles, which would not be economically feasible using classic construction techniques. Every vehicle undercarriage uses 51 sand-cast cores. After manufacture, the cores are smoothed, receive a fire-proof coating, are placed into sand moulds and finally cast using a low-pressure filling process.