Digital Manufacturing for Automotive Product Development
Manufacturing on Demand for the Automotive Industry
The automotive industry is developing rapidly. As industry trends such as autonomous driving, in-vehicle connectivity, and hybrid/electric vehicles continue to drive innovation, car companies with agility are turning to accelerate new product development and get to market faster. With rapid digital manufacturing and automated manufacturing feedback, designers and engineers can reduce design and cost risks while developing a more responsive supply chain that can better respond to driver and passenger demand for more customized vehicles.
In the automotive industry, failure or failure of components can have catastrophic consequences. Therefore, any new part or product must be thoroughly tested and evaluated to determine whether it will perform as intended before being placed on the market. For these operations, prototypes are ideal.
Extensive experience in prototyping and manufacturing auto parts and can utilize rapid prototyping techniques to produce high-performance physical prototypes.
Rapid Prototyping Techniques Employed by Elimold
- For engine parts: aluminum machining
- For interior lighting, exterior lights, and headlights: acrylic machining
- For quick runs: injection molding and rapid tooling
- For short-term trial productions: reaction injection molding (RIM)
Trust our automotive engineers and designers
- Automotive manufacturers
- OEM automotive component plants
- OEM vehicle assembly plants
- OEM design studios
- Independent OEM automotive parts manufacturers
- Tier one & two suppliers
- Autonomous driving technology companies
- Replacement automotive parts manufacturers
- Industrial heavy equipment manufacturers
- Agriculture and forestry equipment manufacturers
Precision Auto Parts Produced Through Rapid Prototyping
We produce prototypes for many interior vehicle parts, such as the steering wheel, dashboard, or console. By utilizing rapid prototyping, interior parts can be tested for various aspects. For example, steering wheels can be evaluated for their grip, dashboards can be verified for color, and consoles can be assessed for the amount of wear they show after use. The results gathered from these tests can provide insight into whether a design needs alteration.
The exterior parts we prototype include bumpers, headlights/tail lights, and door handles. Exterior part prototypes are generally tested for safety, such as how the bumper holds up in a simulated crash, how the lights perform in low light or rain, or how the door handles function with repeated use.
The functional parts that we can prototype include air components, engine covers, and air filter housings. Functional part prototypes are primarily tested to ascertain how well they perform within the vehicle. For example, the air components, engine covers, and air filter housings can be prototyped and tested to see how they function in the high-temperature environment generated by the engine.