• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Your Membership
    • Edit Your Profile
  • Services
    • Advertising
    • Case studies
    • Design
    • Email marketing
    • Lead generation
    • Magazine
    • Press releases
    • Publishing
    • Sponsored posts
    • Webcasting
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • Writing
  • Shop
    • My Account
    • Cart
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy
    • Terms of use
  • Events

Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

  • News
  • Features
  • Video
  • Webinars
  • White papers
  • Press releases
  • Featured companies
    • AMD Xilinx
    • BlueBotics
    • Elite Robot
    • RGo Robotics
    • SICK Sensor Intelligence
    • Vicor Power
Stratasys Audi tail light covers 1

Audi uses Stratasys 3D printer to prototype tail light covers

June 12, 2018 by Sam Francis

Audi is planning to use what is claimed to the “world’s only full-color, multi-material 3D printer” to prototype tail light covers.

Additive manufacturing systems supplier Stratasys says Audi Pre-Series Center with its Plastics 3D Printing Center in Ingolstadt, Germany, will leverage “the world’s only full-color, multi-material 3D printer” – the Stratasys J750 – to innovate its design process and accelerate design verification.

For the production of tail light covers, Audi expects to reduce prototyping lead times by up to 50 percent. 

The Audi Plastics 3D Printing Center will use the unique J750 3D Printer to produce ultra-realistic, multi-colored, transparent tail light covers in a single print

Before a new vehicle goes into production, the Audi Pre-Series Center in Ingolstadt builds physical models and prototypes for the brand to evaluate new designs and concepts thoroughly.

Stratasys Audi tail light covers 2

This requires allocation of most parts of the vehicle in an early stage of product development – everything from wheel covers and door handles to radiator grills. Traditional methods, such as molding and milling, are commonly used to create and replicate new designs.

However, the use of plastics 3D printing has become an integral part of the automotive design process at the Audi Pre-Series Center, enabling the team to overcome limitations of conventional processes and accelerate design verification.

In the case of tail light covers, the team traditionally used milling or molding to produce individual parts. The main challenge with these production techniques are the multi-colored covers of the tail light housing.

These individual color parts must be assembled, as they cannot be produced in one-piece. This time-intensive process increases lead times for design verification and subsequently delays time-to-market.

Ultra-realistic color, multi-material prototyping accelerates design

Streamlining the process, the Audi Plastics 3D Printing Center will use Stratasys’ J750 full-color, multi-material 3D printing.

This will enable production of entirely transparent, multi-colored tail light covers in a single print, eliminating the need for its previous multi-step process.

With over 500,000 color combinations available, the team can 3D print transparent parts in multiple colors and textures that meet the stringent requirements of the Audi design approval process.

Dr Tim Spiering, head of the Audi Plastics 3D Printing Center, says: “Design is one of the most important buying decisions for Audi customers, therefore it’s crucial we adhere to supreme quality standards during the design and concept phase of vehicle development.

“As a result, we need prototypes to have exact part geometries, no distortion and extremely high quality, as well as true-to-part color and transparency.

“The Stratasys J750 3D Printer will offer us a significant advantage, as it allows us to print the exact textures and colors our design defines.

“This is essential for getting design concepts approved for production. In terms of 3D printing transparent parts, I have not seen a comparable technology that meets our standards.

“Using the J750 for the prototyping of tail light covers, we will be able to accelerate our design verification process.

“We estimate time-savings of up to 50 percent by using this 3D print technique in our prototyping process of tail light covers.”

For the production of tail light covers, Audi estimates a reduction in prototyping lead times by up to 50 percent using unique Stratasys full-color, multi-material 3D printing

Dr Spiering and his 24-member team are responsible for providing all plastics 3D printing expertise, advice and production at Audi.

Having invested in its first Stratasys FDM 3D Printer in 2002, the division has since grown its portfolio to ten polymer 3D printers, including a range of Stratasys FDM and PolyJet 3D Printers.

Andy Middleton, president EMEA, Stratasys, says: “Audi is a prime example of how our unique full color, multi-material 3D printing technology can combine several design processes into one, rapidly accelerating development cycles.

“If you extend the time-savings achieved by Audi on the tail lights to other parts of the vehicle, the overall impact on time-to-market can be huge.

“We’re excited to see how Audi continues to leverage our FDM and PolyJet technologies into new application areas to further increase efficiencies across its development process.”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Skype
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Pocket

You might also like…

Filed Under: Industry, Manufacturing Tagged With: 3d printing, additive manufacturing, audi, stratasys

Join the Robotics & Automation News community

Primary Sidebar

Latest articles

  • Visteon and Steradian partner to develop autonomous car functions
  • Hyundai launches delivery robot pilot programs
  • BMW unveils first battery cell coating line at Leipzig factory
  • Interactive cyber-physical human: Generating contact-rich whole-body motions
  • Robotic nursing assistant market set to expand 15 percent a year through to 2032
  • Bin-picking systems market forecast to grow to $5.6 billion by 2033
  • Material handling robot market predicted to grow to $13 billion by 2033
  • Ottonomy unveils new delivery robot
  • ABB robots help tackle Covid by automating testing, research and diagnostics
  • Svaya Robotics launches ‘India’s first collaborative robot’

Most Read

  • Foxconn plans to build autonomous vehicles on Nvidia computing platform
    Foxconn plans to build autonomous vehicles on Nvidia computing platform
  • Manufactured in the metaverse: Mercedes-Benz designs virtual factories with Nvidia Omniverse
    Manufactured in the metaverse: Mercedes-Benz designs virtual factories with Nvidia Omniverse
  • Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
    Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
  • Why is My Car Key Stuck in the Ignition?
    Why is My Car Key Stuck in the Ignition?
  • UPS and Gap units partner to offer ‘unmatched automation and supply chain capabilities’ to apparel merchants
    UPS and Gap units partner to offer ‘unmatched automation and supply chain capabilities’ to apparel merchants
  • Kuka unveils new compact autonomous mobile robot for intralogistics
    Kuka unveils new compact autonomous mobile robot for intralogistics
  • Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
    Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
  • Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
    Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific partners with Celltrio to build fully automated cell culture system
    Thermo Fisher Scientific partners with Celltrio to build fully automated cell culture system
  • DHL becomes first to install Boston Dynamics’ Stretch robot to unload trucks
    DHL becomes first to install Boston Dynamics’ Stretch robot to unload trucks

Overused words

ai applications automated automation automotive autonomous business china companies company control customers data design development digital electric global industrial industry logistics machine manufacturing market mobile operations platform process production robot robotic robotics robots safety software solution solutions system systems technologies technology time vehicle vehicles warehouse

Secondary Sidebar

Latest news

  • Visteon and Steradian partner to develop autonomous car functions
  • Hyundai launches delivery robot pilot programs
  • BMW unveils first battery cell coating line at Leipzig factory
  • Interactive cyber-physical human: Generating contact-rich whole-body motions
  • Robotic nursing assistant market set to expand 15 percent a year through to 2032
  • Bin-picking systems market forecast to grow to $5.6 billion by 2033
  • Material handling robot market predicted to grow to $13 billion by 2033
  • Ottonomy unveils new delivery robot
  • ABB robots help tackle Covid by automating testing, research and diagnostics
  • Svaya Robotics launches ‘India’s first collaborative robot’

Footer

We are…

Robotics and Automation News was established in May, 2015, and is now one of the most widely-read websites in its category.

Please consider supporting us by becoming a paying subscriber, or through advertising and sponsorships, or by purchasing products and services through our shop – or a combination of all of the above.

Thank you.

Independent

Archivists

June 2018
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
252627282930  
« May   Jul »

Complex

Old-skool

This website and its associated magazine, and weekly newsletter, are all produced by a small team of experienced journalists and media professionals.

If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to contact us at any of the email addresses on our contact page.

We’d be happy to hear from you, and will always reply as soon as possible.

Future-facing

Free, fair and legal

We support the principles of net neutrality and equal opportunities.

Member of The Internet Defense League

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT