Recently，the webinar on "Applications of 3D Measurement and Printing Technology in the Racing and Automotive Industry" was held online. During the seminar, Mr. He, the Head of Intake System Design at the Tongji University Lotus Racing Team, and Jason Wang, the Manager of 3D Applications at TPM3D, shared their insights on the application of 3D printing technology in the racing and automotive production lines.
Introduction of He, Tongji University:The Tongji Lotus Racing Team was established in 2007 and has since won 2 national championships, 2 Japanese season championships, 7 international single event championships, and 14 domestic single event championships. They have also achieved over 50 podium finishes in various single events.
During the manufacturing process of the race cars, a significant number of 3D printed components were utilized. These included the cooling system fan cover, lubrication system oil tank, fuel supply system fuel tank, variable intake system intake manifold, fuel injector seat, and the exhaust system's three-in-one conversion joint. Additionally, the aerodynamic package of the car consisted of components such as the front wing flaps, side wings, and rear wing endplates.
Lastly, He provided a detailed overview of the overall performance of the intake manifold produced using SLS 3D printing technology. By comparing this technology with traditional manufacturing methods and evaluating the differences between SLS, SLA, and FDM processes within 3D printing, the decision was made to utilize TOM3D’S SLS 3D printing technology for the production of the intake manifold.
Jason shared the applications of 3D printing technology in the racing and automotive production lines. TPM3D is a well-established manufacturer of SLS laser sintering 3D printers, currently offering S-Series, P-Series, and E-Series laser sintering equipment, as well as complementary PPS powder full-performance processing workstations and dedicated powder consumables.
The application in the automotive industry covers production line applications, R&D prototype validation applications, customized parts mass production applications, and end customer applications. In automotive production lines, the use of fixtures and clamps is often required. Currently, commonly used fixtures and clamps are made primarily of aluminum alloy and steel, using CNC machining. However, for some complex structured parts, using metal fixtures and clamps not only incurs high manufacturing costs but also has long lead times. Utilizing 3D printing for manufacturing can effectively address these issues.
A certain manufacturer of automotive spare parts production tools wanted to manufacture headlight fixtures. Previously, they used a manufacturing process that involved sand mold 3D printing, aluminum alloy casting, CNC machining, and anodizing treatment. However, the yield rate of qualified products was only 70% to 80%. Later on, they adopted the TPM3D SLS laser sintering 3D printing manufacturing process, which successfully replaced the aluminum alloy fixtures and met the requirements in terms of strength and precision. In addition to headlight fixtures, the manufacturer also produced rear light fixtures and dashboard assembly fixtures. After comparing the options, using SLS 3D printing with nylon for manufacturing fixtures and clamps simplified the process and reduced costs, resulting in significant advantages. Compared to manufacturing metal fixtures, using SLS reduced the production cycle by 54.5% and cost by 73%.
In addition, Jason also demonstrated numerous applications of SLS 3D printing technology in automotive interiors, exteriors, powertrains, and onboard electronic systems.
