Materialise

Efficiently manage prototype production3D printing started out as a prototyping technology for the automotive industry. Although it has grown into a manufacturing technology for a wide variety of industries, the prototyping application still plays an important role in many automotive industries worldwide. World-famous car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Company focuses on cars with better performance and higher safety.By relying on 3D printing, they can create new products in a fast and cost-effective way, and experiment with designs with almost no design limitations or material waste. But how do they efficiently manage their Additive Manufacturing (AM) production?

Reducing manual effort and time spent designing implants  A conventional implant can lead to side effects such as bending and movement, which inevitably leads to patient dissatisfaction. Their challenge in creating custom nasal implants was that the "sketching" steps of designing the nasal implants that conform to the irregular, variable shape of patient nasal profiles could be a daunting and repetitive task, even for skilled design engineers. Another big hurdle was that it would take up to three months for new engineers to be adequately trained in designing patient implants; furthermore, training new engineers was expensive.

Eliminate issues caused by using conventionally manufactured toolsExperts at the Metal Competence Center are very familiar with applying AM technology to applications in the automotive industry. They are constantly rethinking old processes with AM. This is how the team identified a point within the production process that often causes inconsistency, time delays, and excess scrap—drape forming.