Экзамен / СМ9_2023_Speaking

СМ9 выпуск 2023 Новиков Артём

My field of engineering is multipurpose tracked vehicles. So, I specialize in design and manufacturing of tracked vehicles.

I think, you have seen tracked vehicles in the streets. Usually they take away snow or garbage. We call them tractors, and they are used in agriculture, house and road construction, mining, forestry, arm forces, rescue and search activities.

In simple words, tracked vehicles are vehicles that run on continuous tracks instead of wheels. We appreciate tracked vehicles for their extreme maneuverability and mobility flexibility in terms of grade and side slope capabilities.

In other words, due to continuous tracks these vehicles are in contact with a larger surface area. As a result, they exert lower force per unit area. This makes them suitable for use on soft, low friction and uneven ground (for example mud, ice and snow). Tracked vehicles have lower center of gravity and that is why they have so great thrust.

Of course, tracked vehicles have disadvantages. They are slow (the speed varies from 40 to 60 miles per hour) and often break down. Among the technical challenges are track slippage, steering behavior (especially at high speeds) and the range of speeds. And, of course, engineers have to solve these tasks.

But as for me, I associate my professional activities with manufacturing technologies, especially with metal 3D printing. Probably you now that 3D printing is one of the additive manufacturing techniques and we could use metal 3D printing for tracked vehicle production. This technology makes it possible to create complex parts and components that were previously difficult or impossible to manufacture using traditional methods. Finished 3D-printed product can be up to 60% lighter than a milled or cast part with the same strength. In addition, one of the main advantages of metal 3D printing is the ability to quickly prototype and test new parts and designs. This reduces the development and release time of new products, as well as reducing the cost of their production.

One of the most common metal 3D printing technologies is SLM (Selective Laser Melting), which uses a laser to melt and fuse metals. Another technology is DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering), which uses a laser to heat a metal powder to a sintering temperature, creating an object layer by layer. There are also newer technologies such as WAAM (Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing) and EBM (Electron Beam Melting) which use a welding arc gun and an electron beam, respectively.

Today we know some examples of 3D metal printing in tank building. For example, General Dynamics Land Systems has used this technology to create complex structures for their military vehicles. Moreover, in the future, metal 3D printing can be used to create tank parts and components right on the battlefield. That will significantly reduce the time for their repair and replacement.

We already have positive examples of metal 3D printing application in the industrial scale. I mean automobile industry. BMW, Audi, FCA have already made metal 3D printing an integral part of their business.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that tracked vehicles (both civil and military) are in great demand. We need them to do various jobs. That is why we have to expand the use of metal 3D printing in tank building. This technology will make tracked vehicles cheaper, lighter. Obviously, it will partially solve some technical challenges and improve steering behavior (the tracked v-s are heavy and that is why they are difficult to steer).

Just before 3D printing with metals really takes over the world, several serious problems will need to be overcome. First, it is the high cost and low speed of production of large batches by this method for now. Secondly, some materials may be difficult to print or have poor properties when used in complex designs. Thirdly, there are restrictions on the size of parts that can be printed. As for me, I would like to expand the use of metal 3D printing in tank building and robotics in my future work.