In our vehicle focus last month, we spotlighted many of the automakers using additive production for production today, consisting of German automotive huge Volkswagen.
Today, one of Volkswagen’s leading brands Audi has actually revealed more about its use of 3D printing. A team of 3D printing specialists at Audi’s Böllinger Höfe center is dealing with Berlin-based software company trinckle to establish a software platform for creating tools.
The goal of the partnership is to develop a user friendly design software application that will enable Audi employees to easily design a custom-made tool without comprehensive style or 3D printing experience.
According to Audi, the brand-new software gets rid of time-consuming steps in the standard style procedure, including manually shaping designs in CAD programs. The brand-new platform apparently has the capability to cut design times for brand-new tools down by 80%.
Waldemar Hirsch, task supervisor and the head of the 3D printing group at the Ramp-Up and Analysis Center at Audi Böllinger Höfe, said: “Our software makes the procedure of producing pre-assembly components almost entirely automated. That permits us to make the essential tools rapidly and flexibly and to react to specific demands from the coordinators or our associates on the assembly line.”
The design software and resulting 3D printed tools are playing a crucial role in the production of the Audi e-tron GT, the brand’s very first automobile to utilize 3D printing as a recognized part of its series production workflow.
The automobile, which is arranged to come off the assembly line later on this year, will count on optimized assembly tools made with additive production technologies. Audi’s 3D printing group is working closely with its process and assembly planning and pre-production teams for this task.
” Collaborative design from an early stage allows optimizations to be made previously in the process too,” included Hirsch. “This implies that all the necessary tools will currently be offered and adjusted to the specific requirements when production of the e-tron GT starts.”
One of the 3D printed tools developed for the Audi e-tron GT’s production is for the pre-assembly of air-conditioning compressors and cooling lines, which need to be perfectly aligned. Generally, the assembly needed a minimum of 2 people to carry out, today with the 3D printed pre-assembly fixture and an incorporated clamp, the components can be put together with exact positioning.
The dedicated style software application established by Audi and trinckle is helping the automaker to accelerate its digitalization and take tangible steps towards accomplishing wise factory status. Today, the browser-based software is being used by Audi Sport GmbH at the Böllinger Höfe site, but the company eventually plans to roll it out more broadly.
A team of 3D printing specialists at Audi’s Böllinger Höfe facility is working with Berlin-based software application company trinckle to develop a software platform for creating tools.
The goal of the partnership is to develop an easy-to-use style software application that will enable Audi employees to quickly develop a custom-made tool without substantial style or 3D printing experience.
The style software application and resulting 3D printed tools are playing an essential role in the production of the Audi e-tron GT, the brand name’s very first vehicle to utilize 3D printing as an established part of its series production workflow.
