The North American branch of car manufacturer Volvo Trucks, New River Valley (NRV) plant in Virginia, produced all trucks for the North American market. Incorporating Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology, Volvo has enabled quicker production and continuous quality improvements in its automotive parts and saved USD 1,000 for each part.
The advanced manufacturing technology department of the NRV plant is exploring advanced manufacturing technologies and 3D printing applications for 12 Volvo truck plants in the whole world. At present, the initial results have been tested in the NRV factory’s innovation project laboratory, and more than 500 kinds of 3D printed assembly tools and fixtures have been used to improve the efficiency of truck production.
Volvo trucks chose the SLS 3D printing technology and used high-performance engineering plastic materials to make, test tools and fixtures for eventual use in truck manufacturing and assembly. Parts designed by engineers in 3D modeling software can be directly imported and 3D printed, which takes only a few hours to dozens of hours, which greatly reduces the time spent in making assembly tools compared with traditional methods.
In addition, 3D printing also endows Volvo trucks more flexibility. Instead of outsourcing tool-making projects, the tools and fixtures can be 3D printed in factories. It not only optimizes the tool-making process but also reduces inventory on demand, thus reducing the cost of delivery of trucks to end-users and enhancing competitiveness.
Recently, Volvo truck printed parts of a paint atomizer cleaner, which can save about $1,000 per part compared to traditional manufacturing methods, significantly reducing production costs in the process of making and assembling the truck. In addition, Volvo truck also uses 3D printing technology to produce:
- Roof sealing tools
- Fuse mounting platens
- Drilling fixtures
- Brake pressure gauges
- Vacuum drill pipes
- Hood drilling tools
- Power steering adapter brackets
- Luggage compartment door gauges
- Luggage compartment door bolts
- Other tools or fixtures.
Leave A Comment