Ford has been working with EOS to develop a voice imprinted wheel nut locking concept using additive manufacturing (AM) in an effort to combat theft.
Together with the German AM leader, Ford has introduced a metal 3D printed rim lug nut, used to secure a wheel on a vehicle, which features a completely unique pattern derived from the vehicle owner’s voice. Using a sound wave pattern from a simple sentence, EOS were able to create a completely unique mechanism which provides an added layer of security in a similar fashion to fingerprint recognition. The idea is there will only be one pair of these unique parts – the lock itself and the key - in existence, making them virtually impossible to clone.
The designs are created using a web-based platform from trinckle, who have previously worked with Ford on the implementation of a software solution which streamlines the design of 3D printed jigs and fixtures. The wheel lock pairs are printed in stainless steel 17-4ph on a EOS direct metal laser sintering system, heat treated and machined to achieve finished part properties.
Speaking about the collaboration in a short video, Raphael Koch, Ford-Werke GmbH, Advanced & Additive Manufacturing, said: “We think that 3D printing and 3D printed parts will increase a lot in future vehicles.
“3D printing is really a game changer for car production.”
Watch the full video below.
