The redesigned brake caliper is manufactured using SLM from Titanium Ti6Al-4V alloy powder. How many SLM machines are required to manufacture parts for 450 vehicles which are to be built in a 20-month production period. The following parameters are in effect: 5 parts can be built at once on a single machine The caliper has a height of 173mm. Each layer is 64 µm thick 4 scanning lasers are used which share the scanning time for each layer The average laser scanning time for each layer with a single laser is 63 seconds The powder recoating time for every odd numbered layer is 18.6secondsand 38.75 seconds for every even numbered layer Every 8th layer is scanned twice, at 2.3 times the usual laser scan speed to provide additional heat input for in-situ heat treatment The SLM machine operates at a duty rate of 42% of the 24-hour day, Monday to Friday, for 48 weeks of the year, with 10% of production time lost to unscheduled downtime.

Q1) The redesigned brake caliper is manufactured using SLM from Titanium Ti6Al-4V alloy powder. How many SLM machines are required to manufacture parts for 450 vehicles which are to be built in a 20-month production period. The following parameters are in effect:

•  5 parts can be built at once on a single machine
• The caliper has a height of 173mm.
• Each layer is 64 µm thick
• 4 scanning lasers are used which share the scanning time for each layer
• The average laser scanning time for each layer with a single laser is 63 seconds
• The powder recoating time for every odd numbered layer is 18.6secondsand 38.75 seconds for every even numbered layer
• Every 8th layer is scanned twice, at 2.3 times the usual laser scan speed to provide additional heat input for in-situ heat treatment
• The SLM machine operates at a duty rate of 42% of the 24-hour day, Monday to Friday, for 48 weeks of the year, with 10% of production time lost to unscheduled downtime.