Accelerating Automotive Product Development
Createproto specializes in rapid prototyping and 3D printing/additive manufacturing for the automotive industry. Our past experience with automotive projects includes automotive parts and prototypes, automotive components, and physical prototypes for automotive applications. Conquer ever-shortening product development cycles and create supply chain flexibility with rapid prototyping and low-volume production.
Automotive Prototyping and Production
The design process for new or improved automotive parts and assemblies includes the important step of producing, examining, and testing a physical prototype to observe how the product performs and note where it can be improved. Automotive engineers have always used prototypes in their work for iterative testing, but with rapid prototyping, this process can be done faster, more efficiently, and at a lower cost. Engineers and designers can benefit from having an automotive prototype to sample sizing and test for form, fit, feel, and function.
Besides automotive prototyping, 3D printing and additive manufacturing technologies can be used for producing parts for many automotive applications. Additionally, prototyping and production for automotive applications is not limited to small parts; multiple components can be joined to create very large items.
What Materials Work Best for Automotive Applications?
Thermoplastics. Choose from hundreds of thermoplastics including PEEK, acetal, or supply your own material. Maintain branding with custom colorant for qualified projects.
Liquid Silicone Rubber. Silicone rubber materials such as fuel-resistant fluorosilicone can be used for gaskets, seals, and tubing. An optical clarity silicone rubber is also available for lens and lighting applications.
Nylons. 3D print functional prototypes in several nylon materials available through selective laser sintering and Multi Jet Fusion. Mineral- and glass-filled nylons improve mechanical properties when needed.
Aluminum. This all-purpose metal used for light-weighting provides excellent strength-to-weight ratio and can be machined or 3D printed.
Why CreateProto for Automotive Development?
Rapid Prototyping
Mitigate design risk through rapid iteration and prototyping in production materials without sacrificing development speed.
Supply Chain Flexibility
Get on-demand support for line-down emergencies, part recalls, or other supply chain disturbances in your production plants by using automated quoting, rapid tooling, and low-volume production parts.
Quality Inspections
Validate part geometry with several quality documentation options. Digital inspection, PPAP, and FAI reporting are available.
Mass Customization
Implement low-volume manufacturing to enable more diverse and customized automotive features that are tailored to modern drivers.
Tooling and Fixtures
Improve manufacturing processes to create greater automation and streamlined component assembly with custom fixturing.
Examples of Automotive Rapid Manufacturing
Createproto’s customers have used our rapid prototyping services and 3D printing/additive manufacturing capabilities to create a wide variety of parts, both large and small, in many different materials. Here are few examples:
- Engine castings
- Engine parts
- Mechanical parts
- Lenses
- Dashboards/consoles
- Carbon steel
- Handles
- Knobs
- Body components
- Trim parts
COMMON AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
Our digital manufacturing capabilities accelerate the development of a range of metal and plastic automotive components. A few of common automotive applications include:
- Assembly line components
- Fixtures
- Enclosures and housings
- Plastic dash components
- Aftermarket parts
- Armatures
- Lenses and lighting features
- Support for on-board consumer electronics
-Automakers: these days want more features packed into smaller packages. That's our challenge, stuffing all that functionality into that little package.
JASON SMITH, DESIGNER, BODY CONTROL SYSTEMS GROUP