Porsche Present 40% Lighter 3D Printed Electric Drive Housing

The car manufacturer Porsche has just unveiled its first complete housing for an electric engine thanks to additive metal manufacturing, or more precisely, thanks to SLM Solutions’ new machine, the NXG XII 600. Still in the prototype stage, the part would be lighter than those conventionally manufactured, reducing the total weight of the drive by about 10% and doubling the rigidity in heavily stressed areas. The prototype has passed all the quality and resistance tests successfully, proof that additive manufacturing has a bright future in the automotive sector.

Porsche has been using 3D technologies since the 1980s, first for rapid prototyping, then, with the evolution of the market, to design more and more finished parts. Today, 3D printing for manufacturers can be divided into three areas: product innovation, process innovation and new business models. Having recently introduced 3D-printed pistons for its GT cars: which are now lighter and directly incorporate a cooling duct to reduce temperature, increasing efficiency. It is then unsurprising that their new electrically powered housing was designed using the same approach.

Porsche uses additive manufacturing to accelerate the prototyping phase (photo credit: Porsche AG)

Lighter and more efficient 3D printed electric drive housing

Made with a high-performance metal alloy, the housing would also incorporate the two-speed gearbox, intended to be used on the front axle of a sports car. The goal was to bring together as many features as possible in a single room, reducing the assembly steps. Falk Heilfort, project manager in the Powertrain Advance Development department at the Porsche Development Center in Weissach, explains: “Our goal was to develop an electric drive with the potential for additive manufacturing, at the same time integrating as many functions and parts as possible in the drive housing, saving weight and optimising the structure.”