Aesthetics and elegance, safety and design. Material research and unmistakable style, on the track and along the roads ever travelled by every motorcyclist. It is to the historic Dainese brand that we dedicate this article, to discover how additive manufacturing technologies and 3D printing solutions have managed to bring innovation and benefits to the brand that has made safety its mission.
In an interview with Marcello Pasqua – R&D Developer and Patent Specialist and Product Engineer at Dainese – we find out what advantages 3ntr’s A2V4 printers have brought, thanks to the possibility of using polymers such as ABS and ELASTO 95* in the prototyping of parts and components.
Dainese, AGV, TCX: stories and skills meet
This article features a historic company, or rather…. three companies, which then became one, with the sole mission of protecting sportsmen (in particular, motorcyclists) ‘from head to toe’… literally.
As we have already mentioned, we are talking about the Dainese brand, manufacturer of technical equipment and protections for dynamic sports (mountain biking, winter sports, horse riding and, indeed, motorcycling). Dainese’s products include motorcycling suits, jackets and trousers, back protectors, gloves and all the protections worn by sportsmen and two-wheel enthusiasts in general.
The company – founded in ’72 by Lino Dainese (then just 24 years old) – has grown over the years and came to acquire another historic brand in 2007. This was AGV, founded in 1947 and specialised in the production of helmets, with a particular focus on those dedicated to the motorbike racing sector, thanks to research and continuous innovations in aerodynamics, comfort, safety and graphic design. Then, in 2020, it was the turn of TCX, a brand specialising in the production of motorbike boots and holder of the international T.C.S.® (acronym for Torsion Control System) patent, a system that allows controlled movement of the foot along the longitudinal and lateral axis, protecting the ankle from possible trauma. And, still on the subject of safety, it is interesting to note that TCX was the first company in the sector to introduce CE certification on all its products, following the passing of strict tests.
Goals thanks to 3D printing
Among the main objectives of Dainese was that – common to many companies in the automotive sector – to cope with an impressive deployment of means and investments in CNC milling machines for the production of prototypes and molds, perhaps finding solutions capable of offering a reduction of times and costs.
Additive Manufacturing at Dainese
This was Dainese’s main objective: to equip itself with skills and 3D printers in order to internalise additive manufacturing technologies and thus benefit from unparalleled flexibility in the prototyping stages, as well as an effective response to the high costs of traditional machining (injection, moulding, chip removal, etc.).
Overcoming production obstacles with 3D printing
We asked Mr. Pasqua to describe the main obstacles that additive manufacturing solutions have helped Dainese overcome:
«Thanks to 3D printing, it has been possible to optimise the prototype phase, which is very important, but also very costly, if done with traditional technologies. With 3D, on the other hand, it is possible to develop multiple prototypes, make changes to them and redesign them over and over again, with very low costs. All this, before moving on to actual production, with the execution of the moulds, which, as is well known, require very high investments, both to make them and to introduce any modifications».
Another area where 3D printing has proven to be a winning solution is in the prototyping of helmet components:
«For helmets, it is really not feasible, in terms of cost and time, to use machining technology. Here again, the use of 3ntr A2V4 printers made the difference…».
Additive manufacturing and production solutions
Since Dainese brought 3ntr’s A2V4 printers into the company, there have been concrete improvements in several areas. This is because, increasingly, additive manufacturing technologies are proving that they can make a difference, even in the actual production of parts and components. Undoubtedly, part of the benefits are also due to the technical peculiarities of the A2V4, which are equipped with high-level features, such as:
- The choice of construction materials, designed for industry (stainless steel and high-strength components, such as carbon trays, which do not require the application of chemicals to detach 3D printed components): they guarantee safe and consistent performance 24/7.
- Active heating of the chamber.
- Three extruders allowing different polymers to be printed, even over very long periods of time, thanks to the liquid cooling system.
- Supported polymers: ABS, ABS ESD+, ABS HD, ABS FAST, ABS V0 PC ABS, PETG, ASA, ELASTO 85, ELASTO 95, zWAX, IGLIDUR, NYLON+, GLASS+, CARBON+, nPOWER.
Furthermore, among the advantages identified by Mr Pasqua, the following stand out:
«Extremely competitive material and maintenance costs. The printing plate is very large, with a print volume of 600x325x500 mm. The printers are modular and easily manageable. Service is timely and effective, both from the dealer and the head office».
It was because of these characteristics that Dainese chose to bring 3ntr’s 3D printers into the company and, as Mr Pasqua explains:
«We now have two ‘twin’ printers in the company, working 24 hours a day, with a productivity of between 70% and 80%. This has allowed us to almost completely rule out outsourcing the prototyping of parts and components. In addition, the use of 3ntr’s 3D printers has allowed us to produce control jigs, drilling, assembly for the production sites, as well as dozens of components per week, including shells and individual components, for the assembly of prototype helmets…».
3D printers and additive manufacturing in the automotive market
This article is just one of many, on the 3ntr blog, that show how additive manufacturing and 3D printing are bringing great benefits to the automotive market, both for the prototyping of car and motorbike parts and components, and for the prototyping of protectors and helmet components, as described in this article.
Alongside the motorbike market, which developed during 2021, is the 3D printing technology that is literally transforming this sector, driving its development and growth.
Partners for industrial 3D printing
To find out more about 3ntr, the partner for companies that believe in industrial-grade 3D printing, we invite you to visit our website and, in particular, the section dedicated to our offer of 3D printers and professional accessories for the production of components and prototypes via additive manufacturing.
One day, this story could be your story. Contact us to discover our professional solutions for 3D Printing. With the help of our consultants we will find new solutions for your design and production.
Give your business new strength with 3ntr 3D printers.