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Ford HVAC lever arm digitally manufactured with Carbon 3D printing technology.
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Ford parking brake bracket digitally manufactured with Carbon 3D printing technology.
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Ford raptor plug digitally manufactured with Carbon 3D printing technology.
Carbon has introduced a selection of production parts it has digitally manufactured for Ford Motor Company using its additive manufacturing technology.
The parts were showcased by the partners at the Additive Manufacturing for Automotive Workshop at the 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. They include Ford Focus heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) lever arm service parts, Ford F-150 Raptor auxiliary plugs, and Ford Mustang GT500 electric parking brake brackets.
Ford is utilising Carbon’s proprietary Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology and EPX (epoxy) 82 material to digitally manufacture these components on-demand, reducing not only cost and time-to-market, but the need to carry inventory too. The automotive company first qualified the Carbon process and EPX 82 material for these applications, putting them through its rigorous performance tests, whereby the material’s capabilities after exposure to heat is assessed, as well as UV stability, fluid and chemical resistance, flammability (ISO 3795), and fogging (SAEJ1756).
For Carbon, it is another demonstration of the aptitude of its technology in manufacturing end-use components in a real industrial setting, but also points to the potential of digital production tools throughout the automotive sector.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Ford Motor Company and are excited about the many opportunities to leverage the power of digital manufacturing to deliver durable, end-use parts with similar – or better – properties as injection moulded parts,” commented Dr. Joseph DeSimone, CEO and co-founder of Carbon. “The automotive industry shows significant promise for using digital fabrication at scale, and our work with Ford is a perfect example of the kind of innovation you can achieve when you design on the means of production.”
