The automotive industry has adopted 3D printing within its processes for a long time, for various uses, in a more or less significant way.
The brand we want to talk about today, in particular, can be defined as one of the pioneers in this field, having taken its first steps in additive manufacturing since 2014. In 2017, just three years later, they’ve chosen to get a 3D printer dedicated to production.
The brand we are talking about is Nissan. The printer protagonist of this story, on the other hand, is a 3ntr A2v2 model.
This is what happens when a great automotive brand meets a great additive manufacturing brand.
3D printing: give the floor to Nissan
The applications, the data presented and the examples you can find in this article were provided by Engeneer Enric Ridao (Trim & Chassis department of the NISSAN Motor Ibérica), for an event organized by Excellencia-Tech, partner and reseller of 3ntr systems for Spain.
In particular, you will find out what advantages 3D printing has brought, and for what purposes the A2v2 3D printer is used for the production of components for special vehicles and vehicle production.
Nissan employs an A2v2 3D printer
Within its factory, Nissan Group of Europe has been using a 3ntr A2v2 3D printer since 2019.
The machine, equipped with 3 extruders, allows the creation of multi-material components.
- The first extruder prints rigid plastics (such as ABS).
- The second extruder prints the elastomers, thanks to the use of an optional SPFU.
- The third extruder takes care of the printing of the support material, which we make with breakaway mode in SSU material.
Furthermore, thanks to 3D printing, it is possible to have full control over the rigidity of the components made, playing with the thicknesses and fillings of the components themselves.
3D printing: how Nissan uses it
Thanks to 3D printing, Nissan is mainly making production tools. In fact, more than 200 3D models of tools have been designed and built thanks to the 3ntr A2v2 printer, including:
- Tools dedicated to the production line
- Tools for special vehicles (police vehicles and ambulances).
Specifically, Nissan Europe has decided to create positioning tools (masks or special guides), which allow you to customize the vehicles to your liking.
3D printed horizontal placement guide
Dimensions: 120cm long by 40cm wide.
Parts: 5 in total.
Production time: 100 hours.
Material: ABS (to drastically reduce costs and production times and to be able to easily repair it).
3D printed vertical positioning guide
Dimensions: more than 50cm in length by 40cm in width.
Parts: 2 in total.
Production time: 50 hours.
Material: ABS with 50% filling (which is practically indestructible).
In order to be even safer, two guides have been made, so that in case of breakage, one can be immediately replaced with the new one, while the broken one is repaired internally, thanks to the 3D printer.
3D printing and Nissan: a winning combination
As can easily be deduced from the article, the meeting between Nissan and 3ntr 3D printing technologies has created a winning combination.
Engineer Enric Ridao, having to summarize the advantages that emerged from this partnership, identifies in his report:
- The ability to print with multiple materials (specific for production, making molds, introducing changes).
- The awareness of having a reliable partner for 3D printing.
- The confidence of having multiple prints, thanks to the large volume that the A2v2 3D printer is capable of, reliable and constant (for Nissan it prints 16 to 20 hours on weekdays and produces longer prints on weekends).
Characteristics mentioned above make us proud to produce and offer machines such as the A2v2, whose value, today, is also recognized by a prestigious brand such as Nissan.
One day, this story could be your story. Contact us to discover our professional solutions for 3D Printing. Con l’aiuto dei nostri consulenti troveremo nuove soluzioni per la tua progettazione e produzione.
With the help of our consultants we will find new solutions for your design and production.