11-28-2023: MAN Truck & Bus announced the production of a complete set of spare parts for a marine engine in collaboration with Replique

This was the first project within the framework cooperation

On November 28, 2023, MAN Truck & Bus—one of the world's largest manufacturers of trucks, buses, and other transport vehicles—announced its partnership with the German manufacturing platform Replique. The first joint project involved producing bronze manifolds for the cooling water supply of a marine engine.

For specialized machinery, ensuring a supply of spare parts can often be a significant challenge. MAN faced the urgent need to procure 10 bronze cooling water supply manifolds for a marine engine that were no longer available in stock.

The casting mold for this critical component was unavailable. Conventional ordering methods, including model creation, casting, and mechanical processing, would have been both time-consuming and costly. Ultimately, MAN sought an alternative solution to meet the short-term demand while maintaining the high technical requirements of this high-stress component.

The collaboration with Replique allowed the company to reproduce 10 manifolds in the original quality using additive manufacturing technology—only requiring a 3D model and a production drawing. In partnership with their suppliers, Replique selected a material (m4p Brz10) that was technically equivalent to the original. Production was carried out using SLM (Selective Laser Melting) technology.

It took just seven weeks from MAN’s initial inquiry to the delivery of ready-to-install parts. Tensile tests conducted by MAN's Central Materials Technology Department showed that the selected material actually exhibited better technical properties than the original. The practical application of these parts was also successful, leading MAN to place an additional order for 10 units.

Source: www.replique.io