Case studies IN RAPID PROTOTYPING

2. Case-1: Usage of 3D Printing by
Automotive Industries

Designers and manufacturers in the automotive
industry are using 3D printers to develop prototypes
for comprehensive design communications and for
functional testing.
 3D printers are also used to directly obtain metallic
parts.
Benteler, F1 Racing, Ford and Porsche are the leading
car manufactures, who have been using 3D printers to
fulfill multiple requirements.

3. Case-1: Usage of 3D Printing by
Automotive Industries
 Prototype after being printed, allowed to undergo infiltration
with desired molten material.
Choice of infiltration material is made so that properties of
prototype such as resistance to humidity and temperature, and
durability are improved.
 Required postprocessing operations such as machining, tapping
and drilling are performed on infiltrated and allowed for
functional testing.
 Third requirement consists of building moulds and patterns for
different casting processes.
 Thus, component by using 3D printers for various requirements
lead times and cost are reduced to larger extent.

4. Benteler Car

5. Benteler Car

6. F1 racing car

7. Porsche car

8. Why is AM so beneficial for the
automotive industry?
 First of all, 3D printing is the best solution to
develop lightweight structures.
 3D printing gives you absolutely new design freedom,
you can access the insides of your parts and edit them
in a necessary way.
 The technology is no longer the limit for your design,
3D printing redefines the way we think of designing
new parts.

9. Why is AM so beneficial for the
automotive industry?
 Lightweight parts also lead to less material wastage
and that brings the production costs down.
 It is more economical and improves your
manufacturing process.
 3D printing also eliminates a lot of tools, normally
needed to assemble parts.
 With 3D printing, you can simply design interlocking
parts and have them ready to use straight out the 3D
printer

10. Latest automotive news:
Ford is using 3D printed brakes!

11. 3D printed Brake Prototype

12. Ford’s last development: 3D
printed brakes
 It is a well-known fact that 3D printing is a ground-
breaking technology.
 Ford has seen that a long time ago and has been
making the most of it.
 Soon they will launch their latest car: 2021 Ford
Mustang Shelby GT500.
 What is so special about this car? It’s the 3D printed
brakes.
 They are strong, robust and meet exactly Ford’s
manufacturing requirements.

13. Ford’s last development: 3D
printed brakes
 Ford doesn’t stop with just redesigning their
mechanical and interior parts.
 They also test and experiment with new materials,
among which are Nylon, sand, and carbon.
 3D printing allows Ford to challenge themselves and
question how each part of the car can be improved.

15. Case-2: Usage of 3D Printing in
Footwear Industry to Build Prototypes
of Shoe
 Various departments of footwear industry, such as design,
manufacturing, marketing and managing departments
uses prototypes of 3D printing.
 The main issue in footwear industry is that, they have to
release new models frequently.
 Because preferences of consumer varies more frequently.
 Therefore, in order to withstand competition in the
market, rapid reaction to the changing preferences is
needed.
Preparing prototypes by conventional methods is time
taking and expensive.

16. Case-2: Usage of 3D Printing in
Footwear Industry to Build
Prototypes of Shoe
 Therefore, 3D printing, a RP technology become more
popular in the field due its shortened process time,
cheap and colour printing capabilities.
 Footwear industries such as Wolverine, Adidas and
New Balance have employed 3D Printing technology to
build prototypes of athletic shoes.
 They developed prototypes in considerably less time.

17. Case-2: Usage of 3D Printing in
Footwear Industry to Build
Prototypes of Shoe
 As 3D printing provides complex colour schemes,
exact mockups of the actual shoes were developed by
them with an ease.
 Thus, interpretation of design ideas, reviewing of
asthetic and fit became much easier for them.
 By using 3D printing, they possibly prevented excess
inventory of designs which are not in demand and
shortened the lead times to a greater-extent.
 Thereby, they remained ahead in the competition by
releasing shoes of latest designs as per consumer
preferences.

18. Case-2: Usage of 3D Printing in
Footwear Industry to Build
Prototypes of Shoe
 Adidas, the German sportswear manufacturer, has
teased the latest version of its popular 3D printed
shoe, Alphaedge 4D.
 The first version of Alphaedge 4D was released in 2018.
 It was made in collaboration with the California-based
3D printer manufacturer Carbon, who used its
proprietary CLIP technology, a Digital Light
Synthesis process

19. The latest version of Alphaedge 4D
sneaker.

20.  Increasingly consumer product manufacturers are
adopting 3D printing technology for mass
manufacturing.
 Reebok has also ventured in the 3D printed footwear
market.
 Other examples of 3D printed consumer products
include eyeglasses by MOREL and 3D printed
razors by Gillette and Formlabs, made on the Form
Cell system.

21. CASE STUDY-3
Building of prototypes of Carbon
Tower Models by TESTA
Architecture/Design using SLS

22.  TESTA Architecture/Design is a US based leading
architecture company, headquartered at Los-Angeles.
 Once they are needed to physically represent, designs
of carbon towers' in an exhibition named “Extreme
Textile: Designing for High Performance”.
 In that case, they used SLS process to build prototypes
of “carbon towers”.

23.  Initially, design models of the carbon towers were
generated using ARUP software. Each tower is about
fourty-story.
 Those towers are corporate office buildings to be
constructed with latest technology using glass fiber
and carbon.
 Connections between portions within the floor and
between two-stories, appears to be knitted, woven and
braided, prototypes of such towers with fine features
and micro details were built with an ease using SLS
process.

24.  Using digital CAD data generated by TESTA, prototype
of dimensions 1524 mm length and 356 mm diameter
was developed by generating only five individual
pieces and interlocking them.
 By using conventional methods and materials,
fabrication of the tower prototype with micro-details is
not possible.

25.  Carbon towers possess greater strength and lighter in
weight by multiple times than that of concrete
structures and steel.
 Thus, by using SLS process, parts with intricate shapes
and fine features can be fabricated at faster rate.

26. CASE STUDY 4
Building of Smart Crossblade
Outside Mirror by Binz GmbH
Using SLS

28.  Binz GmbH is a German based, leading automobile
manufacturing company, headquartered at Lorch.
 Once it needed to develop new mirror system for
smart crossblade of Binz 2000 series.
 Crossblade is the car with new design.

29.  It is not provided with doors, wind screens, roof and
top of convertible type, the components which a
normal car will have.
 In order to match with his new design, designer
generated a mirror system which is different from the
conventional mirror system.

30.  Crossblade was completely built except the mirror
system.
 The date for functional testing was scheduled, even
before the tool for injection molding was prepared.

 In that case, testing schedule was very tight and car
has to undergo impact test to ensure that folding of
mirror occurs when mirror hits the pedestrian.
 Thereby, hoping for less damage to pedestrian.

31.  Using duraform PA as material in SLS machine,
prototypes of the shells which holds the rear view
mirrors were built before the date of the testing.
 On the day of test, prototypes of outside mirrors are
mounted on the rig for testing.

32.  Depending on test results modifications were made in
prototype, until acceptable results were obtained.
 Thus, using SLS process rapid fabrication of actual
mirror shells for impact test ie., ECE R 46 test, became
possible.

33. CASE STUDY 5
Usage of FDM by Toyota for
Design and Testing

34.  Toyota is a US based leading automobile manufacturer.
 Toyota's sub-system, Toyota Technical Center (TTL) USA
Incorporated is the place were Toyota carries out its design
and testing activities.

When TTL needed to enhance design and testing
efficiency, it came across the FDM system advantages such
as better prototype physical properties, rapid model
building and operation within normal environment.
 As these advantages aids them to obtain improvement in
design and testing efficiency, TTL ordered FDM 8000 from
Stratasys, in the year 1997.

35.  FDM system was used to carry out TTL's project called
Avalon 2000.
 Around 35 rapid prototypes were developed for this project.

 If TTL follow conventional method of prototyping for the
entire vehicle, it would consume 16 weeks of time and
10,000 USD.
 By replacing conventional method with RP method, cost
saved by TTL was around two million USD.
 In addition to cost saving on conventional tooling of
prototype, problems which cannot be predicted during
design stage were came into light.

36.  They rectified the design before actual production.
 If actual production has been started without these
rectifications they might went through huge loss.

37. CASE STUDY 6
Usage of FDM by JP Pattern
for Production Tooling

38.  JP Pattern is prototype development company.
 In addition, it also provides service for production tooling.
 It is located in Butler, Wisconsin.
 Once Ford Motors needed to produce dunnages, within
less time and low cost.
 Ford Motors selected JP Patterns among association of
industries, for that particular project.
 Function of dunnages it to hold car parts such as fenders
and bumpers, in position during production or shipping.

39.  JP Patterns loaded wax of investment casting as
material and CAD model of dunnage in FDM
machine.
 At the end of the process, patterns of investment
casting wax is developed.
 By using this wax patterns, ceramic shell molds
are created.
 In such molds, investment casting of A2 steel is
produced. Thus, dunnages of A2 steel are obtained.

40. 
If same product is developed using conventional
tooling, it was expected that it might taken double
time and may cost double price.
 Thus, it is evident that time and costs are saved by 50%
each by replacing conventional tooling with FDM RP
system for this particular product.

41. Generation of Space Shuttle
Hot Gas Manifold by NASA and
Boeing Rocketdyne Using LOM

42.  NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
is a leading space program, aerospace and aeronautics
research organisation.
 NASA used LOM machine successfully for first time
through its MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center).
 Objective of setting up MSFC was to bring advancement
in generation methodology of component used in
rockets and spacecrafts, using methods of remote
processing.

43.  Later on after installation of rapid prototyping systems
in MSFC, in addition to remote processing, other
significant operations such as component design
prooving and concept model production were carried
out by MSFC.
 From then, for other NASA subcontractors and centers,
and for other MSFC groups, MSFC become shop of
rapid prototyping.
 Around the year 1999, MSFC needed to create hot gas
manifold for main engine of the space shuttle.
 MSFC assigned, task to the rocket engine design and
production company name Rocketdyne.

45.  Design of the manifold with diameter and length of
0.10 m and 2.40 m respectively was prepared.
 Design had 'tee junction connectors, and multiple
turns and twists.
 Developing prototype for such complex design using
traditional method, involves welding multiple
steel components together.
 But, leakage from the joints may occur.

46.  In order to eliminate leakage, the components should
be made of one steel piece.
 This alternative cannot be used since proper fitting
between manifold made of single piece of steel and
main engine, is not obtained.
 Also it involves higher costs.
 Therefore, Boeing engineers selected LOM technology
to create manifold at MSFC.

47.  From Helisys, the LOM’S supplier, MSFC brought
LOM-1015.
 Boeing engineers prepared 3D CAD model of the
manifold and transferred to LOM machine.
 Entire section is divided into eight parts and a boss
and socket of irregular type is provided in each part for
joining purpose.
 Time taken for developing the manifold is seven days
and additional three days were consumed to carry out
rework on damaged components.
 Obtained prototype was checked for final fit by
positioning it over original space shuttle.

48.  Building time of 60 days to 90 days was reduced to 10
days and enormous saving in cost is obtained.
 Boeing, officially did not announce the amount of cost
saved, but it is expected that over 10,000 USD save by
the company.

49. Usage of Stereolithography
by Bose Corp. for
Hard tooling

50.  Bose Corp. is a popular audio systems and parts
company.
 Once, Bose is needed to supply grills for car speaker for
Oldsmobile (General Motors) within four weeks, as
road testing of Oldsmobile Aurora is scheduled in four
weeks.
 Those grilis and are aesthetic components and are of
two different diameter, one is of 76 mm dia and
another is of 101 mm dia.
 Then, Bose contacted with Santin engineering MD,
Drew Sanțin and discussed about his requirement.

52.  Bose requested that they needed grills of different colours so
that they match with colour options of Oldsmobile Aurora
interior.
 Also they should be, of uniform texture and made of end
product material, and mainly production should not take
more than four weeks.
 Santin started to calculate the time consumption for
conventional hard tooling, considering parameters such as
complexity of detail, contoured design and parting line of
curvature of each part.
 Estimated time was nine weeks.
 Therefore, Santin again calculated the time by assign every
available worker for this project and made the project
schedule open.

53.  Then too, it seemed much difficult to complete the
project within the deadline.
 At that instant, Santin thought of using a rapid tooling
process called shaw process (a type of ceramic molding
process).
 Because, characteristics of this process include tool
temperature regulation to a larger extent ability to
generate desired surface finish, durability to produce
minimum of five hundred components and reduced
time consumption.

54.  Santin loaded CAD model received form the Bose, in SLA
250.
 Selected CIBATOOL SL 5170 resin and continued the
operation to generate master pattern of the component.
 Then by employing silicone rubber of flexible type, rubber
impressions of component were developed from SL master
pattern, those impressions represents cavity pairs and core.
 These cavity molds and core are sent to foundry shop near
by to generate part patterns of ceramic materials.
 These ceramic part patterns are used to cast inserts of
aluminium which are further finished.
 Final tool is obtained by mounting these inserts.

55.  Immediately after completion of the tool Satin
produces around 500 components with ABB plastic,
end part material and in different colours ordered.
 Exactly on 28ın day after Bose approached Santin, end
components are delivered.
 Then, girlls were successfully fited to speakers in
Oldsmobile Aurora. Road tesing is performed for
design durability and function.
 From above case it is evident that Santin reduced the
hard tooling time to four weeks from nine weeks i.e.,
50% of time consumption is decreased.

56. Usage of Stereolithography
by Ford for Casting
of Prototype Tooling

57.  Ford is a leading automotive manufacturing company,
which always strives for implementation of innovative and
advanced technologies.
 Ford's first successful project of rapid prototyping is
building a prototype and production tooling by using
Quickcast technology.
 Rapid manufacturing, which is a new trend of
manufacturing, was started by Ford after this event.
 Successful implementation of such innovative methods in
manufacturing, reduces the cost of tooling to a large extent
(in millions).
 While manufacturing, explorer of 1994 model, Ford called
for tooling alternatives to test motor cover of rear wiper.

58.  In that case, production units needed the mold halves to
cast the hard tool.
 In order to obtain this, Ford employed Quickcast
technology for rapid tooling through investment casting.
 Initially they generated a plastic prototype of motor cover.
 When prototype is fitted to cover the wiper motor, their
arised a clearance issue.
 In order to obtain exact fit, the plastic prototype is adjusted
manually i.e., with hands and checked for exact fit.
 Then, corresponding changes where made in the CAD
model.
 Mold halves of negative type were developed in software
called Pro/ MOLDESIGN using modified CAD data.

59.  Constants to compensate shrink are applied for resin
of stereolithography, A2 steel, and material of end
component the polypropylene.
 They used SLA 250 system with Quickcast software to
investment cast the mold halves and a core with A2
steel.
 Then, second phase of production tooling is carried
out to make few variations such as inclusion of cooling
lines and providing holes for ejection.
 This is performed by understanding the characteristics
of metals being casted.

60.  It consumed only around 28 days to perform tooling in
second phase, whereas traditional process is estimated
to take 90 days.
 In order to produce one tool set, it costed 5000 USD by
using Quickcast production tooling, but conventional
machining of one tool is quoted to 33000 USD.
 Tests such as water leakage and durability are
performed on the motor cover before 18 months, when
compared
to the conventional manufacturing schedule.
 At end, project resulted in 40% of time reduction and
45% of cost saving.

61. CASE STUDY-10
Usage of SGC by Schneider
Prototyping GmbH to Produce
Metal Prototypes

62.  Schneider prototyping GmbH is German based
company.
 It used cubital's latest model solicast to produce a
metalic prototype from CAD data of components.
 Initially Cubital prototypes are developed, from which
generation of metal prototypes is carried out.
 It took two weeks for Schneider to complete metal
prototype.

63.  In order to generate same prototype by employing
conventional process, it will consume 10 to 16 weeks
and by using other RP technologies, it may consume 4
to 6weeks.
 In addition to faster rate of production, cost of
production is reduced by 50% relative to other RP
technologies.

64. CASE STUDY-11
Cubital Prototyping
Machine Builds Jeep
in 24 Hours

65.  Toledo Model and Die Inc. (TMD) of Toledo, Ohio, has
used Cubital's
Solider 5600 rapid prototyping system to produce
three design itera-
tions of a toy jeep (Figure 3.8) in three days [16]. The
plastic push toy
is about 30 cm (12 in) long, 23 cm (9 in) wide and 23
cm (9 in) high.

67.  Using the Cubital Solider 5600, TMD was able to
produce each
design iteration in 13 hours of machine time. By using
the Cubital
front-end software, the parts were “nested” within a
working volume
only 10 cm (4 in) deep, within the Solider's working
area 50 cm x 35
cm (20 in by 14 in). Initial file checking and post-
production wax
removal accounted for the rest of the 24 hours.