News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Spanish automotive company SEAT has transformed its prototyping operations with the launch of an upgraded Prototype Development Center (PDC) in Martorell. The additional PDC facility, which spans 3,000 square meters, unifies the automaker’s pre-production operations into a single location. Central to the new location’s operations is a new, cutting-edge 3D Printing Lab.
A lot of work went into this incredible success for Scuderia AlphaTauri but 3D printing with DSM Somos materials also played a part. Just last month the F1 team reported that it started using Somos PerFORM Reflect AM material to cut production time up to 30 percent, enhancing testing processes and increasing the speed and frequency of aerodynamic improvements. The results are now there for everyone to see after Sunday’s incredible victory by Pierre Gasly. And someone should be taking notes.
Though it may best be known for its tires, Continental AG has its fingers in many pies in the automotive sector, including part production, connectivity, automated driving and mobility services. These business areas are tackled by the company’s Continental Engineering Services (CES) division, which has been a keen adopter of additive manufacturing in recent years.
After working with Team Penske in five championship and over 70 race wins since 2017, Stratasys has announced an enhanced technical partnership with Penske. The parties have entered into a new multi-year partnership agreement, which allows Stratasys to maintain its technical support for the four systems currently deployed in Penske’s shop.
Sterling Backus’ 3D printed Lamborghini was one of 3dpbm’s biggest stories ever and rightly so. The project is truly amazing: to think that someone could 3D print several parts of an Aventador replica’s body at home, on basic desktop systems (used as a base shape for composites), and actually build a working car seemed impossible. And yet, here it is: the (almost) final product looks truly amazing and it is a great inspiration for STEM education, which is exactly what Backus set out to promote.
In yet another example of additive manufacturing in the automotive sector, Chevrolet announced that its 3D printing racing program supported over 80,000 miles of racing. This milestone is indicative of the competitive and manufacturing efficiency derived from AM products. Chevrolet’s announcement pairs with this Network’s recent reporting on Team Penske’s and Oxford Brookes Racing’s implementation of AM parts in their race cars.
When Rolls Royce makes a car it looks at every detail so that you don’t have to. In order to maintain the minimalistic, luxurious style of the original, the new Rolls Royce Ghost Extended went the extra mile to develop unique part geometries that would enable the increased legroom without compromising the car’s style. In order to achieve this, the British car company made intensive use of 3D printed parts.
Scaled Ltd, a UK firm specializing in large format 3D printing via a robotic extrusion process, unveiled its Project Chameleon 3D printed electric vehicle. The company started working on the Chameleon vehicle less than half a year ago, aiming to demonstrate how the way vehicles are manufactured can be revolutionized through AM.
With the technological concept of the Bugatti Bolide, the french luxury car manufacturer is now providing the answer to the question “what if Bugatti built a radically light vehicle around its iconic 8.0-liter w16 engine?” The experimental study of the Bugatti Bolide is a track-oriented hyper sports car featuring a w16 engine derived from series production as powertrain combined with a minimal body for maximum downforce. It, therefore, promises to offer the ultimate Bugatti performance kick.
The BMW Group has transposed its 3D printing activities to its motorbike racing team by printing S 1000 RR World Superbike components at the curbside, on-demand. This method allows the team to quickly prototype new components at the circuit. Testing is made more efficient, which is an old story for those familiar with additive manufacturing prototyping. Full production runs on these bikes occur after the 3D-printed prototypes are fully tested before final production occurs in Munich. BMW also uses its 3D printers at races to produce non-critical parts track-side.