First 3D-printed Titanium Wheel Hits the Market: HRE3D+
HRE Wheels’ HRE3D+ showcases cutting-edge technology that pushes the boundaries of wheel design further than ever before.
HRE Wheels has struck a partnership with GE Additive, a subsidiary of General Electric known for its progressive work in 3D printing. With the high-end wheel manufacturer teaming up with a company known for high-tech innovations, you can see where this is going.
This partnership has led to the HRE3D+ wheel, the first 3D-printed, titanium wheel, created using electron beam melting technology. According to HRE, this new prototype wheel shows “what the future of wheel technology will bring and how advanced materials like titanium can be harnessed to create complex designs.”
When creating a traditional aluminum monoblock (single-piece) wheel, manufacturers start with a solid block of aluminum and mill down the material until the finished product is all that remains. According to HRE, a typical 20-pound wheel requires a 100-pound aluminum block to start with, and the remaining 80% of material is discarded as waste, or recycled as aluminum scrap.
‘Working with GE Additive gave HRE access to the latest additive technology, allowing us to push the boundaries of wheel design beyond anything possible with current methods.’
Not only is this inefficient from a design standpoint, but it is not particularly sustainable when it comes to a limited, expensive resource. According to HRE, with a wheel produced by additive manufacturing, only 5% of excess is removed, and it is able to be recycled. The decision to use titanium with HRE3D+ was a natural one. Titanium also has a much higher specific strength than aluminum and is corrosion resistant, allowing it to be extremely lightweight and to be shown in its raw finish.
Using design queues from two existing models of HRE wheels, the two companies worked together to create a high-tech example of what is possible with additive manufacturing. The wheel was produced on two Arcam EBM machines — Q20 and a Q10 in five separate sections, then combined using a custom center section and bolted to a carbon fiber rim using titanium fasteners.
“This is an incredibly exciting and important project for us as we get a glimpse into what the future of wheel design holds,” said HRE President Alan Peltier. “Working with GE Additive’s team gave us access to the latest additive technology and an amazing team of engineers, allowing us to push the boundaries of wheel design beyond anything possible with current methods. To HRE, this partnership with GE Additive moves us into the future.”
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