Automotive and Transportation

How the EDAG Group goes the extra mile to improve pedestrian safety

Product: Simcenter
Industry: Safety

Nearly 20% of all road accident fatalities in the EU are pedestrians. Car manufacturers all over the world want to improve pedestrian safety. In this blog, we share the story of the world’s leading mobility engineering experts, the EDAG Group AG in Germany.

Remember those adverts where a car drives into a wall, and the crash-test dummies inside are left intact? If you watched closely, you might have noticed that different dummies are used in different tests. This is because they are highly calibrated for each test, and any changes will affect their validation. You might have also noticed that the acceleration given to the car is always in one direction. This ensures the dummy does not change position before impact. The dummies are passive objects and can not reposition themselves. A test is ruined if they move out of position before the impact.  

Using dummies comes with three problems

Firstly, you can’t test until you have built a complete physical prototype. Secondly, you will need to destroy multiple vehicles to complete all the validation tests. Thirdly, you can not quickly test pre-crash maneuvers such as lane change.

From physical to virtual dummies

A few decades ago, manufacturers had to crash over a hundred vehicles while designing a single model. Today, only a fraction of that number is required. With the use of virtual models, engineers can design new, safer models quicker and more cheaply.

Simcenter Madymo simulates both dummy and human models, including models that can reposition themselves after and during a maneuver. It integrates Multibody Dynamics, Finite Elements, and CFD technologies in one single solver that includes a database dummy and human models that can be scaled to any size or to population percentiles.

This means that not only can you get the most realistic assessment of what will happen to occupants and pedestrians in a collision, but you can also carry out testing much earlier in the development phase. Once you have your virtual vehicle model, combine it with your Simcenter Madymo model, and you’ll get accurate test results before you’ve built a single prototype.

Crash Test Innovation of the Year

In 2021 Simcenter Madymo was named the ‘Crash Test Innovation of the Year’ by ATTI magazine. It is no wonder that more companies are turning to this simulation software to aid vehicle design.

Keeping pedestrians safe

EDAG Group supplies mobility engineering expertise to the worldwide automotive industry. Its CAE and Safety department specializes in attaining the highest safety levels for vehicles and meeting legal requirements and customer ratings for particular regions or companies.

The Active Hood is a common pedestrian safety solution for minimizing head injuries when a pedestrian is struck by a car. By automatically lifting the hood when a collision is detected, a space is created between the inside surface and the rigid components underneath. This ensures that when the head hits the hood, the head is much less likely to suffer serious damage.

But to develop an effective Active Hood, engineers need to understand exactly how a human body will behave when struck by that vehicle.

This is where Simcenter Madymo comes in

The CAE and Safety department, led by Stefan Hundertmark, uses Simcenter Madymo to simulate the kinematic behavior of pedestrians’ bodies in accidents to help their customers develop the safest possible vehicles. Read the case study to discover how Simcenter Madymo allows them to significantly reduce simulation time for human body behavior from days to hours while meeting all the necessary standards and regulations in pedestrian safety performance.

You can also find out more about how Simcenter Madymo enables manufacturers to meet regulations by watching the pedestrian safety systems webinar featuring Assistant Professor Corina Klug of TU Graz and Cindy Charlot, technical lead of the Safety and Comfort Modeling team of Simcenter Madymo. Corina Klug was instrumental in creating the Euro NCAP guidelines, which reduced EU pedestrian fatalities by 36%. Cindy explains how to use Simcenter Madymo in the validation process and how to comply with all certification requirements.

Vision Zero

The ultimate aim for The EDAG Group and other companies using Simcenter Madymo is to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries.

That might sound like a pipe dream, but it forms part of a global movement known as Vision Zero.

The campaign began in Sweden in the 1990s and has since proved successful across Europe and is now gaining momentum in the United States.

First and foremost, it challenges the traditional belief that road traffic deaths are inevitable and that saving lives is expensive. Vision Zero accepts that human failure and collisions will happen, but with a systemic approach, we can prevent fatal and severe crashes that lead to deaths.

Simcenter Madymo is a key element of Vision Zero as its occupant and pedestrian safety simulations help manufacturers design vehicles that offer the most protection.

Car manufacturers such as Volvo incorporate zero accidents in their vision. The basic philosophy of the Volvo Group Safety Vision is that accidents can be prevented. At the same time, they are aware that many things are outside of their control. This is why collaboration with other players is important. And change is happening. Also, suppliers such as ZF or Continental go the extra mile to contribute to the zero fatalities future. For more information, read this article on how Continental is heading for Vision Zero.

Pedestrian safety and ADAS & autonomous vehicles

Don’t be mistaken by thinking that ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and fully autonomous vehicles will render accident simulation obsolete.

In fact, they make it even more important.

Even with self-driving vehicles, collisions will still happen. The artificial intelligence controlling the vehicle needs to be able to minimize injury and calculate the best course of action in a split second. It’s no use swerving to avoid one car if that takes you into the path of several cars and causes a bigger crash.

Using Simcenter Madymo, developers of these systems can train them to maximize occupant and pedestrian safety. By understanding exactly how human bodies will be affected by collisions, AI can determine which action will result in the least injury. So instead of swerving, it may simply choose to brake. While not avoiding the collision completely, the reduction in speed, combined with ensuring airbags fire at the right moment and the seat belts do their job, will be enough to prevent serious injury. Ultimately, it will lead to fewer deaths, which is the number one priority on the path toward Vision Zero.

Lee el caso completo
Platica con nosotros para una demostración sin compromiso

InMotion student team breaks records with 12-minute charging

Product: Simcenter
Industry: Motor Racing

Now that is something to celebrate…

Today to celebrate the fifth UNESCO International Day of Education, we want to highlight quite an exceptional story from the InMotion student team that just happens to use Siemens software – and of course: Simcenter.

Although InMotion has made a serious technical impact with its all-electric, track-ready Le Mans race car, the Revolution, the real beauty of this story is what this team of students has accomplished with their 12-minute fast-charging technology and next-generation battery packs.

Based on the Automotive Campus in Helmond, The Netherlands, InMotion is closely associated with the Technical University of Eindhoven. The InMotion team, which is run as a foundation and rotates students annually, practices continuous innovation. Experienced former members meet weekly with the current team to guarantee knowledge transfer and help solve technical challenges.

Moving forward and making progress

Over its ten-year history (plus), InMotion has built four, successive innovative race cars, including the heritage bio-ethanol Ignition, the fastest student e-Formula 3, the Fusion, the Vision, a more aerodynamic e-concept car and the Revolution, a true pioneer with its 12-minute e-charging time – that is faster than an e-Porsche or even a Tesla.

“Ten years being a student team is quite amazing. I think this is what makes InMotion special. The people that founded it ten years ago are still on the supervisory board. People that built the first electric race car, the Fusion, are still providing us knowledge on the Revolution. That’s unique. It’s about moving forward, making progress, and keeping continuity in the team,” states Ewout Timmermans, former Team Manager, InMotion.

Digital twin work experience

Working in a digital thread with a digital twin was new to some of the engineers on the team. Old school tactics, like prototyping and on-the-fly troubleshooting, are things left in the past for the new generation of InMotion engineers.

“I think for most of the engineers, it was a true eye opener that you can work in this detail and represent advanced design and engineering performance this accurately in a virtual world,” explains Thomas Kuijpers, former Technical Manager, InMotion.

The team is quick to point out that getting everyone up to speed on all the Siemens Xcelerator tools, pretty much the same package that many F1 teams use, btw, was far from an out-of-box experience. They had help from cards PLM Solutions, a Siemens Platinum Smart Expert Partner, based nearby in Best, The Netherlands.

“The consultants from cards PLM were always really quick to respond and help point us in the right direction when we got stuck,” explains Kuijpers. “Another plus point about Siemens, especially for students, is the Siemens Xcelerator Academy. Most of us had already followed courses online with university, but once we started working as a new team, we even had more access to more specific material and tutorials. This was very useful for us.”

Innovation on the mobility side

“We really try to innovate on the mobility side. We believe that fast charging is way too slow at this point, and that might be a reason that people do not drive electrically,” explains Martijn Scholtus, former Account Manager, InMotion. “With the Revolution, we want to make the charging time as fast as possible. It is charging in 12 minutes. That’s a big leap. And it’s a Le Mans race car.”

“The most prestigious race is the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It is really a dream of the entire team to race there with this technology.” Adds Scholtus, “If it works at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, then it’s going to work everywhere.”

The importance of hands-on experience

Clearly the InMotion team has put its footprint on the power of innovative technology and, without forgetting International Day of Education, the importance of getting out of the classroom for some hands-on experience and on-the-job training in the world of engineering education (or any higher education for that matter). But more importantly, the team shares passion for engineering innovation to make the world a better place. And, at Siemens and Simcenter, all we can say is that we are happy that we could help.

A short InMotion Photo Gallery

A rotating student team going into its 11th season, InMotion aims to inspire students, organizations, and society with its unique concept to accelerate the energy transition in the automotive industry. The team’s vision is to make future charging as fast as “filling up”. To showcase its unique electric refueling technology, the team is setting a goal to race in the toughest endurance racing environments, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The simulated top speed of the Revolution is 300 km/h. Either way, it definitely outpaced our famous technology demonstrator, the Simcenter SimRod, on the track. (Although you have to argue that even though SimRod never set out to be a famous race car with a need for speed, it can pack a bit of punch…and keep up with the big guys.)

Lee el caso completo
Platica con nosotros para una demostración sin compromiso

Automotive testing firm uses Simcenter Testlab and Simcenter SCADAS to help customers meet regulatory standard for noise

Product: Simcenter
Industry: Automotive and Transportation

Working in partnership with Siemens, UTAC CERAM is looking to the future of automotive acoustic design, including virtual homologation, predictive pass-by noise design and sound optimization of AVAS-fitted vehicles.

Louis-Ferdinand Pardo, Acoustic Expert Leader and Department Manager, Electromagnetic Compatibility and Noise, Vibration and Harshness
UTAC CERAM

Passing the first time

Scientists are confident that noise pollution can harm the health and behavior of all beings, so reducing the noise levels generated by cars, airplanes and machines is a requirement for supporting a sustainable future.

Governments worldwide, especially in Europe, are taking drastic measures to enforce more stringent vehicle pass-by noise (PBN) levels. In June 2016, Europe issued a plan for diminishing regular passenger car noise levels from the current level of 72 decibels (dB) to a maximum of 70 dB by 2020 and 68 dB by 2024. Achieving a 4-dB reduction will take an enormous effort, as vehicle manufacturers are already pushing engineering limits to remain below the current target.

Vehicle manufacturers and part suppliers will simply have to work hand-in-hand to deliver systems that meet individual and overall acoustic targets. Special attention will have to be given to the components generating the most noise: the powertrain, intake, exhaust and tires.

Every vehicle needs to be certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 362 standard, which has been revised in recent years. It now requires more extensive tests in order to even better represent the reality of urban traffic. Testing teams are already spending lots of effort on performing the regular homologation tests and have little to no time or resources to spare.

The reality is clear: Vehicles need to be designed to be able to pass the test the first time.

Getting ready for the future

For decades, UTAC CERAM has helped vehicle manufacturers pass certification and homologation tests. UTAC CERAM is a private, independent group providing services in many areas of land transportation: regulation and approval, testing and technical expertise (environment, safety, durability and reliability), certification, public automotive events and driver safety training. UTAC CERAM also works in an official capacity with two French regulatory institutions that oversee standards for roadworthiness (Central Technical Organization) and standardization (Office for Automotive Standardization).

Over 400 employees work at two test centers in Linas-Montlhéry and Mortefontaine, France, as well as at customer sites in France and abroad. In addition, UTAC has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, North America, Russia and China.

Vehicle pass-by noise homologation is one of many UTAC CERAM activities. Numerous vehicles are tested each year according to the ISO 362 standard on the exterior pass-by noise track at the Linas-Montlhéry site. Yet UTAC CERAM’s involvement in the automotive industry goes beyond simple homologation. The company offers solutions for automotive design and testing so manufacturers can be confident their vehicles will pass the ultimate homologation test.

For the purpose of mastered pass-by noise design, UTAC CERAM has invested in a state-of-art acoustic chamber. The large facility features fine-tuned sound insulation, a four-wheel drive roller bench and two rows of microphones combined with Siemens Digital Industries Software’s Simcenter Testlab™ software for analysis and Simcenter SCADAS™ hardware for acquisition. As such, it is designed to reproduce the conditions of exterior pass-by noise tests as accurately as possible.

The benefits of indoor pass-by noise testing are huge. Indoor pass-by noise testing lets teams perform accurate, perfectly reproducible tests in a controlled environment, independent of changing weather conditions. Since vehicle speed and gear shift are robotized, risk of human driver error is eliminated. However, tire noise is more difficult to accurately reproduce in a room, as it sounds different on a roller bench than it does on road surfaces. This is why Simcenter Testlab Pass-by Noise Testing software, part of the Simcenter™ portfolio from Siemens, features a tire noise model calculation that corrects tire noise data according to the ISO 362-3:2016 procedure.

Thanks to the repeatability of tests, results are more reliable. In the intermediate term, it is expected that indoor pass-by noise tests will be performed for vehicle homologation and will complement or replace exterior tests. Louis-Ferdinand Pardo, acoustic expert leader and department manager of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) at UTAC CERAM, confirms this trend based on his experience as a member of the ISO committee defining the standard for pass-by noise level.

But the benefits of indoor testing go beyond eliminating the occurrence of chance, errors or incidents in a test. Testing in a controlled environment allows the user to implement advanced pass-by noise engineering techniques. The noise contributions of individual sound sources, such as powertrains, exhausts and intakes, can be evaluated and calculated to help set precise acoustic targets for the components.Getting ready for the future

Shaping the sound of electrical vehicles

Vehicle sound design is not about the reduction of noise levels alone. Today, an increasing number of hybrid and electrical vehicles are being used in urban areas. These vehicles drive fairly softly. The risk of accidents rises when no sound alerts pedestrians or cyclists of the presence, speed and direction of an approaching car. To preempt this risk, governments and institutions have been debating the necessity of equipping hybrid and electrical vehicle with noise-generating warning devices described as acoustic vehicle alerting systems (AVAS).

In 2016, the United Nations (UN) published a new regulation (UN 138) on minimal noise requirements that would enforce the fitting of such systems on new vehicles within a couple of years. In the same year, the United State National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) drafted a final rule establishing the federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS 141) of minimum sound requirements for hybrid and electric vehicles.

Testing of AVAS-fitted cars will be best performed indoor as noise levels are by definition low and background noise should be excluded. Simcenter Testlab Interior Pass-by Noise Testing supports the definition of minimum noise levels by integrating the ISO 16254 standard (Acoustics – Measurement of sound emitted by road vehicles of category M and N at standstill and low speed operation – Engineering method) in its worksheets. With its state-of-the-art acoustic facility equipped with Simcenter testing solutions, UTAC CERAM is well positioned to support manufacturers of hybrid and electrical vehicles design sound for the alerting system.Shaping the sound of electrical vehicles

Optimal testing productivity

To perform an indoor pass-by noise test, the vehicle is positioned and secured on the four rolls of the roller bench. The vehicle stands in the middle of the large chamber with two rows of about 20 microphones, each positioned on the sides of the chamber at an exact distance of 7.5 meters from the vehicle and a height of 1.2 meters. The microphones send their signals to the two Simcenter SCADAS hardware mobile data acquisition systems, part of the Simcenter portfolio, at each side of the room. Once the vehicle is positioned on the roller bench, the engineer starts the test. From that moment on, most of the procedure is automated. The engineer leaves the acoustic room for the control room, where he or she will be able to set up the parameters for the test and run it remotely. If necessary, the test can also be adjusted and started manually from a control box in the room.

At UTAC CERAM, the installation has been designed to ensure maximal testing productivity.

“We have selected the Simcenter testing solutions from Siemens for three main reasons,” says Pardo. “First, it offers excellent data quality and processing capabilities for indoor pass-by noise with algorithms that deliver accurate results, comparable to the ones obtained with actual exterior pass-by noise tests. Second, using Simcenter testing solutions ensures continuity and compatibility of tests performed indoor with tests executed outdoor with similar Simcenter systems. Third, we really appreciate the long-standing partnership with Siemens for acoustic engineering and testing.

“Siemens’ involvement in pass-by noise engineering is not limited to supplying measurement equipment; the company acts as a partner in research and development, providing solutions for acoustic source quantification and evolving towards early, predictive vehicle pass-by noise design. Siemens is also involved, as am I, in the definition of tomorrow’s ISO certification procedures, moving towards virtual homologation.”

Performing state-of-the art tests and beyond

New ISO certification procedures prescribe more exterior tests at run-up and constant speeds, and in various gear ratios. Those requirements can be reproduced in UTAC CERAM’s acoustic chamber, which allows the user to assess a design variant as well as prepare for vehicle homologation. Test procedures are preprogrammed in the chamber’s controller: the engineer only adjusts the parameters according to the requirements of the vehicle under scrutiny, opens the Simcenter Testlab worksheet and initiates the test. It then runs autonomously, with triggers starting and stopping measurements in Simcenter Testlab. Yoni Meyer, test engineer at UTAC CERAM, is an enthusiastic user of the software: “We benefit from almost all the implemented functionalities of Simcenter Testlab, and despite being advanced users, we still appreciate the easy-to-use worksheets and intuitive workflow approach.”

By using the postprocessing capabilities of Simcenter Testlab, further tasks, such as separation and quantification of noise sources, can be performed. The result is being able to clearly identify the noise contribution of individual components. This analysis will allow exact acoustic target setting on components, and means in the future the user will be able to accurately predict vehicle pass-by noise level based on component noise contribution.

Pardo concludes: “Working in partnership with Siemens, UTAC CERAM is looking to the future of automotive acoustic design, including virtual homologation, predictive pass-by noise design and sound optimization of AVAS-fitted vehicles.

We benefit from almost all the implemented functionalities of Simcenter Testlab, and despite being advanced users, we still appreciate the easy-to-use worksheets and intuitive workflow approach.

Louis-Ferdinand Pardo, Acoustic Expert Leader and Department Manager, Electromagnetic Compatibility and Noise, Vibration and Harshness
UTAC CERAM

Read the full case
Talk to us for a free demo

Railway manufacturer uses Teamcenter and Tecnomatix to reduce design cycle by 30 percent and double stock utilization

Product: Tecnomatix
Industry: Automotive and Transportation

CSR Nanjing Puzhen Co., Ltd. (Puzhen), which was founded in 1908, is a research and manufacturing enterprise and an integrated service supplier for railway transport of passengers and urban rail transport equipment in China. The firm manufactures urban rail transit vehicles, intercity multiple units, modern tramcars as well as passenger cars and important core parts.

As China began to renovate its rail transit lines and expand urban/intercity rail transit transportation in 2004, Puzhen entered a period of tremendous growth. In 2014, the company’s annual sales hit ¥10 billion, up from less than ¥2 billion in 2004. In 2015, Puzhen officially kicked off the mass production of its 200 kilometers per hour (km/h) class intercity high-speed train for the Guangdong province.

In addition to a continued boom in the rail transport equipment manufacturing industry, the rapid growth of Puzhen is also attributable to its persistent efforts in research, development and manufacturing to improve its ability to innovate. Puzhen started to implement lean management early on, and has applied advanced information and digital systems such as computeraided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), product data management (PDM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) in the research and development (R&D) and manufacturing processes to facilitate efficient and collaborative integration between design and manufacturing.

In 2013, Puzhen decided to implement two solutions from product lifecycle management (PLM) specialist Siemens Digital Industries Software: Teamcenter® software and the Tecnomatix® portfolio. The objective was to enhance planning, better manage and control design development projects, improve collaboration across design processes, and increase process quality and productivity. Two years into deployment, the company has realized significant achievements in design and manufacturing collaboration throughout the product lifecycle. In addition, it has built a uniform and comprehensive information-based R&D and manufacturing process, greatly enhancing innovative product R&D and manufacturing.Puzhen uses Teamcenter for lightweight design and process planning based on full 3D models.

Puzhen uses Teamcenter for lightweight design and process planning based on full 3D models.null

Allying with Siemens Digital Industries Software

Puzhen has a tradition of conducting solid technical research and information management. During the past decade, the company worked on the construction of a digital design and manufacturing platform. It adopted 2D and 3D CAD software and simulation analysis software for digital product design, and invested millions in building a PDM system that would enable sharing of design resources. Puzhen built an R&D system and testing platform adapted to its lean management idea. The company developed and implemented a science-based, practicable business information system for strategic planning. Based on PLM and select information technologies, Puzhen has realized integrated innovation in finished vehicles, and mastered core technologies in areas such as network control, aluminum alloy and stainless steel body manufacturing, as well as bogies and brakes.

The problem was that the prior software tools and PDM system needed to be upgraded due to insufficient standardization and lack of application depth. Puzhen’s early PDM system, though lightweight, convenient and sufficient for basic data and process management, was unable to be scaled up to cover other business units, including process and manufacturing. Therefore, Puzhen decided to introduce a more complete and powerful PLM system to help with collaboration and integration, from R&D and design to process planning and manufacturing.

After a long, detailed evaluation and analysis of similar companies and products both at home and abroad – based on technical capabilities, industrial experience, service abilities, costs and other considerations – Puzhen determined that solutions from Siemens Digital Industries Software could best meet its mid- and long-term applications requirements.

Teamcenter is a powerful collaborative product data management (cPDM) solution that has been applied extensively by large and mid-sized manufacturers all over the globe. Teamcenter enables enterprises to accelerate implementation, increase productivity, enhance collaboration both inside and outside of the company, and expand control over the entire product lifecycle process, while its uniform architecture provides enterprises with a complete end-to-end PLM solution.

Tecnomatix is a digital manufacturing system that integrates product R&D and design with process planning, process simulation and verification, and manufacturing execution. The combination of these two solutions is a perfect match for Puzhen to meet its requirements for in depth collaboration in R&D and manufacturing.

In addition to the powerful solutions and functions provided by Teamcenter and Tecnomatix, Puzhen points out that Siemens Digital Industries Software’s extensive experience working with large and mid-sized enterprises, especially those in the rail transport equipment manufacturing industry, as well as the technical service abilities of its implementation and after-sale teams, also played an important role in the decision. Siemens Digital Industries Software has accumulated a wealth of PLM project planning and implementation experience as its solutions have been widely applied in many well known manufacturing enterprises in China and throughout the world. Siemens Digital Industries Software is a significant participant in the global rail transit market with extensive practical engineering knowledge in business process features and information-based planning.

After two years of cooperation, Puzhen points out that, from the start, Siemens Digital Industries Software provided it with comprehensive PLM experience, highly effective technology products and important implementation/consulting services. During the midterm deployment and implementation process, Puzhen notes that Siemens Digital Industries Software helped it realize truly efficient project management and execution.Puzhen’s design, process and simulation platforms form a closed-loop data process management system.

Puzhen’s design, process and simulation platforms form a closed-loop data process management system.

Building an integrated platform

By deploying Siemens Digital Industries Software’s solutions, Puzhen intended to optimize design and process management, improve R&D efficiency and increase process simulation capabilities in order to meet both the market demand for rapid development and the company’s internal requirement for lean production. To that end, the leadership at Puzhen attached great importance to the implementation of the PLM project, repeatedly discussed the project at the company’s strategic meetings and kept a close eye on project execution. At critical project junctures, the leadership sought debriefings by the implementation team. The leadership required that the PLM project take the company’s business features into full account, thus thoroughly solidifying the management mindset of lean R&D.

With such attention and support from the company’s leadership, Puzhen has successfully motivated the staff to participate across management and technical levels. The implementation of the PLM project was headed by the technical information department, and a full-time project implementation team was formed consisting of key business personnel from the information, design, technology and other departments. The technical information department was tasked with overall control, management and promotion at all stages of implementation, while the design and technology departments mainly focused on assisting with solving business problems and relevant user testing work.

Siemens Digital Industries Software provided guidance and support throughout the process, delivering special insight in key impact areas, including technology, business, knowledge training and team management.

Using collaborative efforts at multiple levels, to date, Puzhen has implemented management projects for design, process, testing and simulation. Currently, the company is extending such projects to manufacturing sites and other disciplines within the organization.

The PLM system has been used to build four major platforms: design, process planning, simulation and testing. In total, 102 projects have gone live, enabling Puzhen to collect and use extensive platform data, improve design quality, significantly reduce design and process planning cycles, and cut down manufacturing and purchasing costs.

Puzhen has used Teamcenter to form a closed-loop information flow that has helped it realize six unifications and a single integration. The company has unified its product design data platform based on project management, R&D process control, the design resource platform (code, standard and interchangeable parts library and template), engineering change platform, file management for the release and storage of electronic drawings, and design simulation and testing verification platform; and Puzhen has integrated its data chain of design, process and production.

The six unifications and single integration have helped Puzhen:

  • Build major platforms for design, process and simulation, forming closed-loop data process management
  • Implement design management platform functions for file coding, file review and approval, design resource, file template, project data and electronic filing
  • Realize lightweight R&D and process planning based on full 3D models
  • Deliver integrated, platform-based engineering bills of materials (EBOMs), preliminary bills of materials (PBOMs), manufacturing bills of materials (MBOMs), enabling data source consistency and output standardization
  • Establish a structural assembly process, allowing engineers to directly view and use the design part information (including 3D design data), and to view complete upstream/downstream assembly relationships and sequences, with real-time process design facilitating quick, enlightened decision-making
  • Establish a shop floor simulation layout plan based on virtual reality and simulation technology, enabling the company to model a design or production process of a product in a unified and detailed fashion; utilize fully digital product design, processing, assembly and verification; and simulate the complete product lifecycle

Potential bottlenecks, critical paths and logistics issues are now readily identified, enabling increased production and improved equipment utilization. This notably reduces costs and increases competitiveness. Using the Teamcenter and Tecnomatix combination, Puzhen has shortened the design cycle by 30 percent while doubling stock utilization.Puzhen’s design platform enables the highly efficient management of functions: file coding, file review and approval, design resource, file templ ate, project data and electronic filing, etc.

Puzhen’s design platform enables the highly efficient management of functions: file coding, file review and approval, design resource, file templ ate, project data and electronic filing, etc.Puzhen simulates a 3D digital plant using Tecnomatix.

Puzhen simulates a 3D digital plant using Tecnomatix.

In the near term

The use of Teamcenter has provided great support for business data management, business process solidification and efficient product design, while enabling the company to build a uniform, standardized data sharing platform outside of the company that facilitates highly efficient business data exchange. For example, the Teamcenter PLM collaborative design platform has made it much easier for business groups and departments to exchange data, eliminating the difficult process of capturing issues that had been discussed during early stages of the project implementation process. Puzhen is particularly impressed with just how easily data can be found.

In the future, Puzhen IT plans to focus on platform construction, information flow, intelligent connection and interaction, smart manufacturing and related resources to build a super BOM platform, open up the entire business process and build a complete digital highway. The company is looking forward to Siemens Digital Industries Software’s recommendations regarding more advanced industrial and technical concepts, new pragmatic solutions and skillful implementation services. Ultimately, Puzhen is expecting to forge an even closer partnership with Siemens PLM Software for sustained, if not breakthrough, productivity gains.

Read the full case
Talk to us for a free demo

Creating custom steering wheel grips to help drivers achieve maximum racecar performance

Product: Artec Space Spider
Industry: Design and Art

Using NX reverse engineering and polygon modeling enabled design changes to be implemented and new grips produced between races, eliminating a potential on-track distraction.

Andrew Miller, Advanced Materials Engineer
Team Penske

Meeting fast-paced design requirements

Team Penske is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Cars owned and prepared by Team Penske have produced more than 600 major race wins, over 670 pole positions and 43 championships across open-wheel, stock car and sports car racing competition. Over the course of its 56-year history, the team has also earned 18 Indianapolis 500 victories, three Daytona 500 Championships, a Formula 1 win, victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, along with a win in Australia’s legendary Bathurst 1000 race. In 2022, Team Penske competed in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, NASCAR Cup Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship.

In addition to racing, the company also produces racecar components and support equipment for NASCAR, INDYCAR, International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and World Endurance Championship (WEC) racing programs.

There is a lot more that goes into winning races than just luck. Over the last decade, Team Penske has focused on developing custom steering wheel grips to help drivers behind the wheel. A custom steering wheel grip allows the driver to focus on racing, achieving maximum performance from the racecar. Clay grips are sculpted to the steering wheel frame and 3D scanned for reverse engineering, which enables Team Penske to implement a suitable design solution as fast as possible.

Team Penske achieved this by using NX™ software and Teamcenter® software, which are part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio business platform of software, hardware and services.nullnull

Using reverse engineering to speed up the design process

Designing these custom steering wheel grips and the necessary mold tooling is no small feat. Team Penske used to outsource the reverse engineering of the scan data, which increased costs and lead time. More recently, Team Penske used a third-party software package to reverse engineer the scan data, generate initial surface and reference computer-aided design (CAD) data. However, this data was not native to NX so making changes to the design was laborious and inefficient.

Another challenge the company faced was meeting the demands of a fast-paced racing industry. When it comes to racing, drivers are the primary stakeholders that generate results from this development. Developing custom steering wheel grips for new drivers, or implementing changes for existing drivers needs to happen within days to weeks. The fast-paced development requires Team Penske to use integrated tools to create and change designs seamlessly.null

Once Team Penske realized the new reverse engineering capabilities with the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, they set out to use NX and Teamcenter to streamline the process. Moving the reverse engineering and design to the native NX CAD system enabled a more efficient in-house design process. Using the NX CAD system helped store all data in one location with traceability in Teamcenter. Integrating the reverse engineering process into NX with the reverse engineering tools and polygon modeling has streamlined this process. Now, Team Penske can implement changes quickly in a parametric process. This is critical when dealing with multiple INDYCAR drivers, each with unique custom steering wheel grips.

Using NX decreased the design time required to implement changes compared to using third-party software packages. One example of this comes from INDYCAR driver, Scott McLaughlin. McLaughlin wanted changes to his steering wheel grips after his inaugural season with Team Penske in 2021. Using NX reverse engineering and polygon modeling enabled Team Penske to make design changes and produce new grips for McLaughlin between races, eliminating a potential on-track distraction. “A custom steering wheel grip allows the driver to focus on racing to achieve maximum performance from the racecar,” says Andrew Miller, advanced materials engineer for Team Penske.

McLaughlin went on to win three races, capture three pole positions and finish in fourth place in the INDYCAR championship during his second season in 2022.

“Using NX reverse engineering and polygon modeling enabled design changes to be implemented and new grips produced between races, eliminating a potential on-track distraction,” says Miller.

Team Penske quickly learned how to use NX and Teamcenter with help from the online resources in the Siemens Xcelerator Academy and customer support from Siemens.null

Racing ahead

Team Penske reduced the design time of the steering wheel grips and molds from a minimum of three to four days to within one to two days. It eliminated outsourcing or third-party software requirements for steering wheel grip designs and used Teamcenter to improve design traceability for grip designs. Team Penske plans to continue using NX and Teamcenter to further investigate texturing and algorithmic modeling for applying textures to steering wheel grips and interface devices.null

A custom steering wheel grip allows the driver to focus on racing to achieve maximum performance from the racecar.

Andrew Miller, Advanced Materials Engineer
Team Penske

Read the full case
Talk to us for a free demo

Same-Day Silicone and PU Parts Speed Development at BWT Alpine F1® Team

Product: Figure 4
Industry: Automotive and Transportation

Speed is the name of the game in Formula One (F1) racing, both on the track and for everything behind the scenes. Using 3D Systems’ innovative eggshell molding solution, BWT Alpine F1 Team has gained the production speed, quality and flexibility it needs to innovate and accelerate development on silicone and polyurethane parts like never before.

“With the Figure 4 eggshell molding solution I’m  seeing things every day that I’ve never seen before. I can’t think of another way we could make this many different components in this many silicone and PU materials at this relentless of a pace.”

– Pat Warner, Advanced Digital Manufacturing Manager, BWT Alpine F1 Team 

RAPIDLY PRODUCE MOLDED ELASTOMERIC PARTS FOR WIND TUNNEL AND ON-CAR APPLICATIONS

Example of a universal gasket used in wind tunnel testing, designed to print in a batch of 36 on the Figure 4 Standalone.

Example of a universal gasket used in wind tunnel testing, designed to print in a batch of 36 on the Figure 4 Modular.

Conventional tooling methods for molding silicone and polyurethane parts are time consuming, often excluding them from consideration for F1 development. With only a few months between racing seasons and a push for nonstop progress year-round, speed of production, testing and iteration is paramount. Given the grueling environment of the track and wind tunnel, there is no negotiating part performance either.

Shortening development and manufacturing time

3D Systems’ Figure 4 solution for eggshell molding enables BWT Alpine F1 Team to produce a diverse range of high-quality molded silicone and polyurethane parts in record speed, providing unprecedented access to one-off and iterative parts using conventional molding materials. The straightforward workflow keeps up with the aggressive pace of Formula One, making it a tremendous asset to the team. For example, casted grommets or seals that would take multiple days or weeks using conventional metal tooling or vacuum casting can now be delivered in a single day using Figure 4.

BWT Alpine F1 Team runs multiple builds a day on its Figure 4® Modular 3D printer for a wide range of casting tools for on-car parts and testing. Pat Warner, BWT Alpine F1 Team’s advanced digital manufacturing manager, estimates that most 3D printed eggshell molds print in just 90 minutes, with the largest builds taking up to three hours.

Workflow of the Eggshell Molding or Digital Silicone Tooling Process

Eggshell molding is a sacrificial manufacturing technique that uses 3D printing to produce a thin, single-use mold that is injected with the final production material and then broken away.

Flexibility across multiple applications

The team’s productivity gains extend beyond same-day parts to the ability to address a wide range of applications using the Figure 4 eggshell molding process. The process relies on 3D Systems’ Figure 4® EGGSHELL-AMB 10 material, a process-optimized material for producing sacrificial tooling with the flexibility to deliver final parts in a range of silicones, polyurethanes and other materials such as metals and ceramics. Figure 4 EGGSHELL-AMB 10 is a rigid plastic specifically engineered to withstand injection at high temperature and pressure, but which breaks away easily after casting.

According to Warner, this flexibility has been a major benefit: “We have a huge array of materials, and we can basically use all of them in the period of a day.” This allows the team to look at a broad range of applications varying in stiffness, elongation, color and other properties. “I can’t think of another way we could make this many different components,” Warner said. Most applications currently addressed using 3D Systems’ eggshell molding solution fall into the categories of grommets, seals and gaskets, which are used throughout the car.

Suspension seal and frame produced using Figure 4 EGGSHELL-AMB 10 and DuraForm PA, respectively

Suspension seal and frame for testing produced with polyurethane casting using Figure 4® EGGSHELL-AMB 10 and selective laser sintering in DuraForm® PA, respectively.

03 Straightforward workflow

The straightforward CAD to casting workflow begins with sending the file to print within 3D Sprint®, an all-in-one software for polymer 3D printing. The software’s extensive toolset includes options for adding supports as well as managing the printing process. Once printed, BWT Alpine F1 Team post-processes the casting shells, which involves cleaning the parts and post-curing them in the LC-3DPrint Box post-curing unit. This process takes roughly two hours and primarily consists of a 90-minute, hands-off post-cure.

After UV post-curing, BWT Alpine F1 Team coats the 3D printed casting shell in a chemical releasing agent and the shell is ready for polyurethane or silicone pouring. Cure times vary depending on the material used and can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 24 hours.

Silicone bellows for car braking system

Silicone bellows like the above are being produced at BWT Alpine F1 Team for the car’s braking system.

04 Performance in a grueling environment

The performance demands on Formula One parts are extreme. Races take up to two hours, during which the entire vehicle is subjected to wildly varying temperatures, intense vibration and brutal forces. “It’s a horrible environment to put something you haven’t seen before yesterday,” said Warner, “and we are always striving for perfection. We must ensure that all our parts perform the tasks they are given.” The parts produced using 3D Systems’ eggshell molding solution meet this high threshold for performance. Warner says the surface quality is very good, which is especially important for aerodynamic parts. The ability to rapidly produce high quality, high performance parts also makes it possible for the team to now modify parts that were previously deprioritized due to the extreme time constraints of the sport.

Bottom line, the benefits of 3D technologies along with dedicated software are direct and substantial over conventional metrology. Components were positioned in hours, rather than days. Time savings on measurements, increased accuracy, removing user error and unmatched traceability, are just some of the benefits of state-of-the-art measurement technology.

MRO: How to Choose the Best 3D Measurement Solution?

To choose the right 3D measurement solution for your maintenance, repair and engineering project, start by mapping out your current 3D measurement or inspection process, and identify the major, most recurring problems of your workflow and opportunities for improvement.

Of course, accuracy, portability and price all make great impact on decision making, but the more information you can get about the target application and the results you want to generate, the better your choice will be.

Considerations with respect to object dimensions, environment, processing speed and software compatibility will help you find the solution that best fits your needs. That way you will probably be able to start simple and scale things up along the way.

For instance, decision-makers in the aerospace MRO industry will tend to orient their choice based on the fact that the objects to scan are relatively large, that the environment greatly affects the surfaces, and that time is of the essence: the longer aircraft are grounded, the more stakeholders lose money.

Do not hesitate to reach out to various providers to ask for a demonstration and discuss your current challenges with 3D measurement specialists. Creaform offers a full suite of 3D solutions for this type of work: metrology graded, truly portable, fast and versatile. We maintain an ISO 17025 accredited in-house calibration laboratory and can provide unmatched support across the world. Creaform offers traceable solutions that will provide you measurements you can rely on.

Read the full case
Talk to us for a free demo

MINO saves time with Tecnomatix virtual commissioning solutions

Product: Tecnomatix
Industry: Automotive and Transportation

Tecnomatix provides a compensation alignment capability that can deliver accuracy as high as 98 percent in production line simulation, thus reducing the amount of rework on the shop floor.

He Wei, Production Director
Guangzhou MINO Auto Equipment Co., Ltd.

Accelerated growth

Guangzhou MINO Auto Equipment Co., Ltd. (MINO) is the largest and leading high-end automotive equipment supplier in South China. Since its establishment in 2008, MINO has attained significant expertise and has become one of the best automation equipment enterprises in China’s auto industry, realizing an average annual sales growth of more than 200 percent.

Since its founding, MINO has experienced dramatic success, capital investment and expansion. Between 2010 and 2012, the company secured venture capital funding of more than 60 million renminbi (RMB). In 2013, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology awarded MINO RMB 6.5 million in special support funds for the company’s flexible conveying system, and MINO’s industrial robotic integration system was awarded RMB 3 million in support funds from the Economic and Information Commission of Guangdong Province. In 2014, the company secured additional venture capital funding of RMB 120 million and began construction of a new facility in Huadu district.Accelerated growth

Leveraging Tecnomatix for enhanced competitiveness

Since the automotive industry has extensively implemented mature automation applications, automakers expect the production lines in their facilities in China to be designed using 3D planning and simulation testing. Years ago, MINO adopted Robcad™ software in the Tecnomatix® portfolio for robotic simulation. MINO used Robcad, a solution from product lifecycle management specialist (PLM) Siemens Digital Industries Software, for mechanical simulation and offline robot programming in individual work cells, but the offline programs often required control engineers to debug the control systems on site to properly synchronize the robots and equipment. Using Robcad alone, the company was unable to meet the commissioning requirements of an entire complex production line with electronic controls.

After comprehensive evaluation of a broad range of criteria for design, simulation and analysis capabilities and technical support, MINO decided to adopt a comprehensive range of Tecnomatix solutions.

The Tecnomatix portfolio of digital manufacturing solutions provides design, analysis, simulation and optimization capabilities for plants, production lines and work cells, and delivers process innovation by linking all manufacturing disciplines with product engineering, including process layout planning and design, process simulation and validation and manufacturing execution.

The use of Tecnomatix helps MINO improve the quality and accuracy of production line designs. “By simulating the whole production line, we can identify defects and problems in the design to make necessary corrections before real production,” says He Wei, production director at MINO. “Tecnomatix provides a compensation alignment capability that can deliver accuracy as high as 98 percent in production line simulation, thus reducing the amount of rework on the shop floor.”

Navigating a complex project

For implementation of the Tecnomatix solution, MINO worked closely with Siemens Digital Industries Software solution partner Guangzhou Gohope Info-tech, which helped navigate the project and provided training services. Using the body-in-white (BIW) welding line for example, Guangzhou Gohope collaborated with MINO to develop independent welding process planning, design, simulation and virtual commissioning capabilities and conducted training on the software to improve the company’s efficiency and quality in body process planning. The collaboration helped shorten manufacturing preparation time on the body production line and improved the capacity of the company’s auto welding lines.

In 2015, with the help of technical teams from Guangzhou Gohope and Siemens Digital Industries Software, MINO successfully wrapped up the largest project of the year – phase three of the GAC passenger car welding project, which includes 63 KUKA robots with an 80 percent level of automation and an expected annual throughput of up to 180,000 units. It took 20 engineers just half a year to finish a range of advanced simulation tests using Tecnomatix. The accomplishment leads the industry in both project lead time and technology complexity, and was unimaginable before joining hands with Guangzhou Gohope.

“Besides the Tecnomatix solution, Guangzhou Gohope’s extensive practical experience in the automation industry, professional after-sales service and technical support teams, and a complete technical training system are among the main reasons that drove us to enter into long-term cooperation with them,” says Zhou Xiaowen, mechanical engineering manager at MINO.Navigating a complex project

By simulating the whole production line, we can identify defects and problems in the design to make necessary corrections before real production.

He Wei, Production Director
Guangzhou MINO Auto Equipment Co., Ltd.

Read the full case
Talk to us for a free demo

Building a Hellcat-powered ‘57 International Metro van with Artec Leo

Product: Artec Leo
Industry: Automotive and Transportation

Background

From the time he was five, Chad Forward knew he wanted to build things. After 15 years of working in leading automotive design studios in Australia and design consulting for custom automotive shops, he started his own restoration business, Scratch Build Co, to continue doing what he always loved – building cars.

Launched in 2012 as a side project that Forward devoted himself to on weekends, Scratch Build is now a full-time design studio and collaborative space. There, Forward and his fellow subcontractors – automotive designers, technicians, and electricians – work on creating design solutions for aftermarket creators of automotive products or custom-built cars.

“I was always attracted to people who are excited about what they try to create,” said Forward. “By observing incredible craftspeople and amazing designers in Toyota, Ford, and other design studios, I really saw the opportunity to employ those people and build a space where everyone can come and create something for the benefit of the Australian auto market.”

As the name suggests, a lot of what Forward is doing entails building things from scratch, be it a part that can’t be bought anymore, or an entire process that a client is trying to reinvent. Until 2017, his typical reverse engineering workflow would take a great deal of time, without the results to show for it. “Sometimes it would take me a whole day to measure up a chassis, getting really basic measurements, and then trying to model from that information in CAD”, added Forward. “Often, because of taking everything on so quickly, I missed something that was fairly critical. And it involved going back and forth a number of times as well.”

“Artec’s cutting-edge and truly portable Leo scanner is a massive breakthrough in the 3D scanning industry.”

When Artec released its wireless handheld 3D scanner Artec Leo that year, Forward was immediately on board. “20 years ago when I had my first custom-car business, I thought this technology would never exist in my lifetime,” he said. Forward pre-ordered the scanner through Artec’s Australian reseller, Objective3D, and, according to the team, was the first lucky customer to get it at that time.

“Artec’s cutting-edge and truly portable Leo scanner is a massive breakthrough in the 3D scanning industry, and we at Objective3D are proud to bring this technology to the Australian and New Zealand market,” said Matt Minio, Managing Director of Objective3D. “It’s especially beneficial for automotive engineers who can use it to reverse engineer parts and see how they affect the performance of a vehicle.”Scratch Build

Artec Leo enables the founder of Scratch Build to measure any part simply (Image by streetmachine.com.au)

Designed with both mobility and ease of use in mind, Artec Leo is a powerful and one-of-a-kind 3D scanner that doesn’t need a PC or laptop to work with. An extensive field of view allows the scanner to easily snap both medium to large industrial parts, or entire vehicles in 3D, with quality-assured accuracy and exceptional resolution.

Powered by automatic onboard processing, wireless connectivity, inbuilt touch screen, and battery, the scanner provides full autonomy and freedom of movement wherever the user is, be it a custom car shop, a factory floor, or a far remote location with no power access.

For Forward, it was a no-brainer: “It took me four years to convince myself I needed to spend $4,000 on a 3D printer, but it took me 15 minutes to convince myself to buy a $40K scanner.”

Getting to work

Once the scanner arrived, Forward put it straight into work, and hasn’t stopped since: anything that needs to be measured car-wise now gets scanned with Leo, onsite in the shop or out in the field, saving him and his clients precious time. He now spends those free hours on CAD modeling, designing, and prototyping car parts and components, using the data he scans as a reference.

“The freedom that this single machine has offered me is unbelievable. Regardless of the location or parts’ complexity, I’m now able to capture the data simply,” Forward added.Scratch Build

Forward uses data from Leo as a reference for CAD modeling in SOLIDWORKS and Autodesk Alias (Image by streetmachine.com.au)

The typical workflow looks like this: Forward or one of his design colleagues drives to the client and scans whatever needs to be scanned, then all the data gets transferred to one of their desktop computers, which is set up solely for processing in Artec Studio.

“I have two desktop computers: one for processing all the scanned data and the second one for the CAD modeling. I always have things going on, so I prefer to run them in parallel,” Forward explained. Depending on the part scanned, he then loads it into either SOLIDWORKS or Autodesk Alias to create a solid CAD model.Scratch Build

Artec Leo’s built-in display allows Forward to preview the results of his scan in real-time (Image by streetmachine.com.au)

Using a 3D scanner at the clients’ locations has also brought Forward new opportunities work-wise: “Every time I take Leo out somewhere, I am almost guaranteed to pick up another job from just visiting one place. One place will send me to another place, and so on,” he shared. While on site, he also collects more data than he needs to – building his own catalog of sorts, gathering valuable data from parts that can no longer be found.

The 1957’s International Metro Van

One of the biggest projects where Forward has been able to make full use of the scanner so far is the 1957 International Metro Step Van that he and his business partner from another automotive shop, Luke Williams, are on a mission to restore from the ground up by the end of 2023.

The owner of the van didn’t just want to renovate the vehicle as is, but pair its vintage exterior with the power of a sports car, featuring the supercharged 6.2L HEMI Hellcat V8 engine.

Coming standard on the Dodge Challenger SRT® Hellcat models, today’s most powerful modern American muscle cars, the V8 boasts more than 700 horsepower, which, unlike the van’s original engine, will allow the owner to freely drive his van all across the country. Apart from the engine, he also wanted to tune up the design, so the van looked less “puffy,” as well as retain all the factory electronics.Scratch Build

Original body of the 1957 Metro Van before the restoration (Image by Chad Forward)

After collecting the design and engineering requirements from the owner and making some preliminary sketches, Forward and Williams came up with a plan: since the van’s body was too worn out and rusty to restore, it would be faster to build the entire vehicle completely from scratch, using the scans of the older and modified parts as a base for modeling new parts in CAD.

Step 1. Sculpting the body

The first step: to cut up and sculpt the body. The plan was to modify an existing body – or one of its parts – to the desired shape, then 3D scan this part and use the data as a starting point for modeling an entire body in CAD.

In order to do that, Williams cut up a factory body with an angle grinder, welded it back in slightly different positions, and then used a lot of body filler and primer to create a matte surface that he was happy with.Scratch Build

The plan was to modify one of the body parts to the desired shape, and then 3D scan this part for modeling an entire body in CAD (Image by streetmachine.com.au)

Step 2. Building the chassis

In the meantime, Forward set up all the drivetrain components of the Dodge Hellcat – the engine, all the wiring, the front and rear suspension – on a base platform that he built around the chassis. He wanted to see how all the components fit together, if they met ADR (Australian Design Rules) standards, and scan them to see which new chassis parts needed to be modeled in CAD.

Step 3. 3D scanning

Then it was time for Forward to scan the primed front left corner of the van, as well as the chassis and other internal components, using his Artec Leo. All the scanning just took a few minutes; he then uploaded all the data to Artec Studio for processing and creating an .STL file.Scratch Build

Forward scanning the van with Artec Leo (Image by streetmachine.com.au)Scratch Build

3D scan of a modified body, captured with Artec LeoScratch Build

3D scan of a rear suspension

Step 4. Modeling the van’s body

Next: To model the body surface. For that, Forward imported the scan data from Artec Studio into Autodesk Alias, computer-aided industrial design software for automotive exteriors, and used this data as the blueprint to create the sketches of a future body surface.Scratch Build

Forward uses Autodesk Alias software to create car body surfaces from the sketches that he makes over the top of the scanned data (Image by streetmachine.com.au)Scratch Build

3D scan (light blue) and CAD data (blue) in Alias software

Step 5. Modeling the chassis

For modeling the chassis and all the other engineering parts, Forward uses SOLIDWORKS. Following the same workflow, he uploaded the scan data captured with Leo into SW and modeled the new parts around it. Having accurate 3D replicas of the internal components allows Forward to use them as precise references during his design process, and also have a clearer understanding of what issues he may run into. As he progresses through his design, he scans more components, and adds them to the software as reference models.Scratch Build

Forward uses the scan of the chassis to be modeled as a platform to create a CAD model in SOLIDWORKS

Step 6. Laser cutting & welding the new components

After the SOLIDWORKS stage, Forward sent all the CAD components for laser cutting, and then welding to the chassis.Scratch Build

Laser-cut flat parts loosely tapped together before final welding to the chassis (Image by streetmachine.com.au)

After welding all the chassis components, the whole internal build was sent to an auto electrician to get the chassis up and running with all the Hellcat’s original components. As this was taking place, Forward was preparing to cut up the body surface modeled from the scan data (in Step 4) to build an auto body buck that could then be used for fabricating the panels and test fitting.Scratch Build

The final design of the new body style that Forward will use to create the body buck

The team expects to finish all the body work in the next 12 months, having given themselves another few months to work on the interior, painting, and other smaller tasks by the end of 2023. Once complete, Forward hopes this project will become a good platform to educate other studios and clients.

“Metro Van is a great example of how I think all cars should be recreated,” said Forward. “Although our process takes time, it will take way longer to restore the old car as is, than to build it from scratch backed by the data from a 3D scanner. Being able to capture information in 3D, reverse engineer and make components based around what I’ve captured – that is what I fundamentally set up this business for.”

“As soon as HD Mode was available, it absolutely blew my mind – it’s like I bought a new scanner.”

Since Forward has switched to 3D scanning, he has never looked back. Being able to create exact digital copies of automotive parts instead of measuring them by hand has been a massive game-changer in the way he works, the accuracy of the data he collects, and his overall productivity.

And it’s only getting better. “I have always been amazed with the workflow and the continued upgrade of everything that Artec has done to stay ahead of the curve,” he said. “Every time the product re-opens, it’s like a whole new level of excitement for me. The difference between Artec Studio 15 and 16 is absolutely massive – as soon as HD Mode was available, it absolutely blew my mind, it’s like I bought a new scanner.”

Read the full case
Talk to us for a free demo

Drastically reduces costs and shortens lead times with 3d systems’ large-format pellet-extrusion 3d printing

Product: Figure 4
Industry: Automotive and Transportation

Duo Form, a leader in thermoforming for a wide variety of industries, advances its production capabilities with polymer pellet-extrusion additive manufacturing (AM). By collaborating with 3D Systems to integrate AM into its manufacturing processes and leveraging its Titan 3D printer, Duo Form is drastically decreasing costs, shortening lead times, and becoming more agile by 3D printing representative samples, production molds, and tools for thermoforming and vacuum forming processes.

“We have gained a lot of business with our Titan 3D printer. The turnaround time for parts, molds, and formed parts has put us leaps and bounds above our competition.” 

– David Rheinheimer, Duo Form Product Development Manager

Time, Cost, and Delays in the Production Process

In the competitive thermoformed plastics market, Duo Form continually works to innovate its manufacturing process, shorten lead times and reduce costs to better serve its customers and win new business. At the same time, maintaining mold quality and durability is key.

Time and cost savings are not the only challenges, thermoformers like Duo Form face. They also need to innovate quickly with design iteration and produce full-scale prototypes to avoid delays in the approval and production process.

Producing Molds with AM

3d systems titan customer duo form thermoform mold

Duo Form now 3D prints thermoforming molds using polymer pellet-extrusion on its Titan 3D printer, replacing traditional CNC methods to create ceramic or metal molds. Large-format pellet-extrusion AM uses cost-effective thermoplastic pellets that are common to other extrusion manufacturing such as injection molding, and which cost up to 10X less than traditional FDM filaments. 3D Systems’ pellet extrusion systems also enable high-throughput printing, with print speeds up to 10X faster than filament systems. 

3D Systems and Duo Form identified a grade of glass-filled polycarbonate pellets as an ideal material for printing thermoform molds, as it is affordable, easily procured, and has proven to withstand the thermoforming process as a durable and dimensionally accurate material.

Duo Form also leverages 3D Systems’ printing experience to achieve optimal printing parameters to print molds with the right porosity to function as vacuum passages. This unique ability of additively manufactured molds eliminates the need for special tools to properly form cavities into the thermoformed component, further reducing time and labor costs for producing molds. 

Innovation and Design Iteration with AM

Incorporating AM goes beyond the mold-making process for Duo Form. As a leading innovator in its industry, Duo Form also utilizes its Titan 3D printer to quickly print sample parts of final products to present to customers ahead of making the tool. Directly printing parts for design approval before proceeding to the mold-making process has opened the door for faster design iteration and overall shorter lead times.

Significant Cost Savings and Reduction in Lead Times

3d systems titan customer duo form thermoform part closeup

Duo Form saw immediate results with the first thermoform mold the company printed on its Titan pellet-based 3D printer, a shower pan for a recreation vehicle. 3D printing the small shower pan reduced costs by more than 50 percent and printing took less than 20 hours, resulting in a high-quality mold with similar longevity to traditionally manufactured molds. Duo Form Product Development Manager David Rheinheimer reported that this 3D printed mold went into production and has been pulled over 1,000 shots without showing any significant wear and is still producing 100% quality parts. 

Duo Form and 3D Systems also partnered on a project to produce a train interior panel using the Titan pellet extrusion system to demonstrate AM for large-format mold production. 3D printing this 1,294 mm x 410 mm x 287 mm mold shows the potential for up to 88 percent estimated cost reduction and up to 65 percent reduction in lead time compared to traditional ceramic mold methods and even greater savings when compared to traditional aluminum mold methods.

worker carrying duo form thermoform part

Since implementing AM as part of its manufacturing process, Duo Form says the company has won more business and now closes deals faster thanks to the speed and agility of pellet-extrusion 3D printing. As an example, Rheinheimer shared how Duo Form 3D printed a sample part to present to a customer along with a quote for forming the part. The customer, impressed with the speed and ability to see the final design first, awarded Duo Form the bid that same day. This is now standard practice for Duo Form and brings added value to its customers.

Rheinheimer says he can also see another value AM brings to manufacturers when it comes to storing molds, especially for products that are out of production but may need to be formed in the future for spare parts. With AM, a digital inventory means you can eliminate the need to store legacy molds, and instead quickly print a new mold whenever the need arises.

Additive manufacturing complements conventional production processes. Duo Form’s adoption of large-format pellet extrusion 3D printing exemplifies how AM and traditional methods can work together to achieve optimal manufacturing speed, cost management, and quality part production. 

Read the full case
Talk to us for a free demo

+ More

LOCATIONS

SUPPORT

AOBOUT US

lkj

lkj

×