Bringing LFAM to industrial production for advanced applications in the automotive sector

When defining the style and functionality of vehicles’ parts, Large Format 3D printing offers significant advantages:

• reduced cost for complex geometries or for custom part production
• enhanced flexibility in manufacturing intricate designs and modifications, avoiding the need for expensive tooling or molds
• iterative and responsive design process with minimal lead time, also for full-scale prototypes
• faster production of accurate, functional mock-ups of car components for testing fit, form, and function before scaling production

Compared to traditional methods, the benefits of Additive Manufacturing collectively enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the automotive design & style, and product development phases.

Caracol has developed an extensive experience in the production of mock-ups for vehicles components’ validation, from railways to marine, from aerospace to automotive. Its LFAM robotic platforms Heron AM are used to process advanced, composite materials and guarantee extreme customization and high-quality finishing. Combining this tech with other processes such as CNC machining within production workflows to achieve all needs end-users might have.

Success story: industrializing the use of 3D printing of automotive mock-ups

Caracol has been collaborating with Torino Crea to introduce Large Format Additive Manufacturing within their production workflow across the applications the latter manufactures. Torino Crea is an Italian-based company operating in the automotive industry for over fifteen years. They support car manufacturers with a comprehensive set of services: from concept/style research to virtual 3D modelling and visualization, product development, up to the production of physical mock-ups and prototypes. Caracol has always had the goal of supporting its partners to guarantee they have a solution to solve all their manufacturing needs, pushing the limits of manufacturing beyond what is possible, and achieving results also in terms of flexibility, efficiency, and sustainability thanks to the integrated Additive Manufacturing technologies developed.

Working with Heron AM, Torino Crea has already unlocked several applications, such as: master models, custom molds and mock-ups for automotive, railway and aerospace applications. The company has managed to achieve some greatly interesting results when it comes to implementing LFAM for the design and development phase of vehicles for the automotive industry. In particular, one project can be highlighted: the functional mock-up of a car’s front bumper, that has been designed and manufactured by Torino Crea on their Heron AM platform in Turin. Caracol worked side by side with the team at Torino Crea to transfer the know-how needed to re-engineer the design for production with robotic LFAM and industrialize the process.

Key Facts

TECHNOLOGY: LFAM Heron AM 400 with HF extruder + CNC post-processing

MATERIAL: ABS 20CF

SIZE AND WEIGHT: 1800 x 400 x 400 mm, 75 Kg

3D PRINTING NOZZLE SIZE: 13 mm

3D PRINTING TIME: 9 hours

Key advantages compared to traditional manufacturing

WASTE REDUCTION: 50%

LEAD TIME REDUCTION: 50 %

COSTS SAVED: 50%

PROCESS OPTIMIZATION: only one monolithic piece cycle, avoiding manual work as gluing resin boards or blocks. Any mold required.

By collaborating with Caracol to industrialize the production of specific applications, to drive the use and repeatability of the process in established production workflows, Torino Crea is establishing itself as a point of reference in the use of cutting-edge technology like Heron AM for advanced parts in the mobility sector.

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