In recent years, the application of 3D printing in the automobile manufacturing industry has developed rapidly. Whether it is a car manufacturer, a parts manufacturer or an after-sales service provider, 3D printing has opened up a faster and efficient innovation shortcut for it, so that enterprises are not affected by traditional manufacturing. The restrictions of the method have entered the fast lane of development. Tianjin Delhui 3D Printing, as a professional industrial 3D printing service platform, has been functionally applied to many links in the field of automobile manufacturing (handrail, automobile air conditioning model, 3D printing of trunk parts, production fixtures, etc.) to help our customers improve efficiency, improve quality and reduce losses!

Industry leaders such as BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Lamborghini are using 3D printing technology to independently produce durable conceptual models, functional prototypes, production tools and small batches of end-use parts within the enterprise, thus helping automotive engineers and designers to conduct comprehensive design evaluation before the parts are put into production. at the same time, it also helps enterprises to greatly reduce research and development costs and shorten the time to market.

So what are the advantages of 3D printing compared to traditional manufacturing processes?

First of all, 3D printing has faster speed, lower parts cost, and higher confidentiality. Using 3D printing technology, concept models can be produced in hours or days to help OEMs and parts manufacturers optimize their designs and accelerate the product proof-of-concept process.

Secondly, a variety of material choices, different mechanical properties and accurate functional prototyping allow manufacturers to correct errors and improve the design at any time in the early stage, minimizing the cost of errors.

In terms of tooling and fixtures, 3D printing technology provides a fast and accurate method, which greatly reduces the cost and time of tool production. As a result, automakers have rapidly improved in terms of capacity, efficiency and quality.

For production tools, such as water-soluble inner core, carbon fiber wrapping, injection molding and other 3D printing applications, help enterprises to achieve rapid small batch tool customization, reduce costs and shorten the time to market.

Finally, in the manufacture of end-use parts, 3D printing technology allows the production of parts for original equipment manufacturers and parts manufacturers without delay, and can be customized to produce durable end-use products for automobile manufacturers.

With injection molding and high-performance thermoplastics, 3D printing technology can build durable and strong automotive parts. Automakers are able to customize parts in small batches and automate production.

At the same time, designers and engineers are able to optimize part designs for the creation and manufacture of organic shapes and complex geometries such as hollow and negative stretch.

On the whole, the current application of 3D printing technology in automobile manufacturing is mainly divided into four aspects: powertrain, chassis system, interior decoration and exterior decoration.

Powertrain

Using 3D printing technology to produce concept models and functional prototypes can help automotive designers and engineers verify the design of clutches and other engine components in the early stages of product development. Compared with traditional methods, 3D printing technology can greatly save design verification time and minimize the cost of design errors. European sports car manufacturer Lamborghini used 3D printing to make engine pipes for its sports car, enabling the creation of complex geometric structures in a very short time.

Chassis

Production and assembly tools and functional testing are two of the more common applications of 3D printing in the development and production of automotive chassis systems. Lamborghini also uses engineering-grade thermoplastics to produce high-strength car chassis prototypes, and uses high-performance engineering plastics to customize assembly tools.

Exterior trim

Automotive industry leaders use 3D printing technology, including tooling fixtures, end-use parts and functional prototyping, to simplify the production cycle of automotive exterior trim, reduce the weight of automotive manufacturing tools, and reduce production costs. Applications include bumpers, fenders, Car lights and car logos and many other automotive exterior parts. For example, 3D printing has become an indispensable technical means in BMW's research and development cycle. The company's tooling and fixture department uses 3D printing to produce tooling and fixtures for automobile assembly and testing, which greatly improves production efficiency through lightweight design.

Interior

3D printing can print a variety of materials with different mechanical characteristics at one time. This characteristic is widely used by manufacturers in the evaluation of product design and R & D stage of automobile interior parts, including parts composed of various materials and processes such as instrument panel, air conditioning exhaust fan, steering wheel, automobile joystick, etc., which can be prototyped by 3D printing. Compared with traditional manufacturing methods, on the one hand, it can reduce design costs; on the other hand, it can accurately restore the shape and material characteristics of the product, so that all aspects can be evaluated and quickly modified, thereby accelerating the time to market.