Case: Greater functionality – smarter assembly

For LKAB Wassara, switching to additive manufacturing for their sliding cases, contributed to increased penetration rates and longer service intervals, which together resulted in overall productivity gains.

The LKAB Wassara sliding case is used for water-powered, down-the-hole hammers. Unlike traditional manufacturing, additive manufacturing allows the two parts of this sliding case to be merged – and created as a single unit.

Re-thinking design and looking at the complete supply chain is a key aspect when working with the Sandvik additive team. For LKAB Wassara this resulted in reduced assembly, more cost-efficient production and better reliability. Optimized printed water channels increased the overall flow for improved performance.

Facts

Outcome
Simplified assembly with greater performance characteristics for higher productivity

Designers
Per Viklund and Maria Bengtsson

Material
Osprey® 18Ni300 maraging steel

Additive manufacturing technology
Powder Bed Fusion Laser

Post processing
Hardening and machining

Additive manufacturing gives us the possibility to optimize the design of our hammers.

In this case, additive manufacturing contributed to increased penetration rates and longer service intervals, which together resulted in overall productivity gains.

“Additive manufacturing gives us the possibility to optimize the design of our hammers with fewer components and streamlined water channels. Initial tests in production environment made with W70 sliding case from Sandvik show very promising results, indicating improved life time and increased rate of penetration,” says Maria Bengtsson, Senior Engineer, LKAB Wassara.