- What was needed: Components for a piano hammer flange
- Manufacturing method: Selective laser sintering with laser sintering powder
- Requirements: Low-friction, wear-resistant parts that fit precisely
- Material: iglidur I3
- Industry: Music
- Success through collaboration: Cost-effective manufacture of customised functional parts, improved resistance to moisture and temperature, durability
The application at a glance:When pianos are built traditionally, most of their parts are made of wood. To counteract the susceptibility of wood to changing humidity or air temperature, Phoenix Pianos, led by Richard Dain, developed the D3D hammer system. The reworked version of the hammer mechanism, which is responsible for generating sound, is made almost exclusively of carbon fibre fabric and plastic. The tribologically optimised iglidur I3 high-performance polymer was used for the moving and the fixed parts of the hammer flange. The laser sintered hammers allow precise replication of the original parts, improve sound properties, extend service life, and reduce maintenance cost and effort.