HP Jet Fusion tech
HP and Japanese partner SOLIZE Corporation have announced the joint development and on-demand production of discontinued replacement parts for Nissan’s NISMO Heritage Parts programme.
The companies worked with Nissan to identify ideal parts for additive manufacturing, before harnessing HP’s Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing capabilities to support the production of replacements parts for Nissan Skyline GT-R R32/ R33/ R34 models.
NISMO Heritage Parts was set-up in December 2017 and is working to respond to the increasing demand for support parts and maintenance for Nissan Heritage cars no longer in production. Since producing and storing replacement parts can be expensive because of warehouse management and the need to retain moulds, Nissan has instead looked to 3D printing to facilitate just-in-time production supported by a virtual inventory.
One component to come out of this arrangement is a harness protector for the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R, which has been printed in HP High Reusability PA 11, selected because of its high mechanical properties and ability to enable design flexibility.
HP
Part of the 3D printed harness protector for the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R.
“SOLIZE has more than 30 years of experience and has honed its technology since it first deployed 3D printers in Japan,” commented Yasutoshi Kudo, President and CEO of SOLIZE Corporation. “We have jointly developed 3D printing technology with Nissan for commercial parts that have been discontinued and take charge of manufacturing the parts. With HP’s market leading 3D printing technology, we are able to support industries including automotive with sustainable production that delivers fast, high-quality and cost-effective results.”
“We are seeing leaders of industry like Nissan recognise the massive cost implications of storage, moulds and logistics for replacement parts and how industrial 3D printing can help,” added Jon Wayne, Head of Global Commercial Business for 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing at HP. “Digital Manufacturing is a viable, long-term solution for accelerating production, transforming supply chains and activating industries such as automotive. Together with SOLIZE, we are focused on helping businesses transform their manufacturing with sustainable, digital production.”
“Our Heritage customers are the most passionate car enthusiast in the world, and we are dedicated to ensuring they can enjoy their cars as long as possible,” offered Kent O’Hara, Senior VP, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. “We are excited that SOLIZE and HP can help us please our customers and achieve our goals in a sustainable way.”
Meanwhile, HP has also collaborated with 3D Control Systems to integrate the HP 3D Application Programming Interface (API) with the software company’s additive manufacturing workflow platform.
This integration is said to allow customers to streamline workflows, optimise job efficiencies and analyse production efficiency with access to critical data. Users of HP Multi Jet Fusion technology can now connect directly with their systems through the software of 3D Control Systems to ‘simplify device management and get real-time updates on performance and efficiency.’
“Our customers demand the highest level of efficiency and digital manufacturing capabilities as they look to optimise their 3D printing production,” said Michelle Bockman, CEO of 3D Control Systems. “The ability to easily connect systems, receive important data and streamline workflow is critical to meet industrial-grade performance and quality requirements. We are excited to work with HP and take advantage of the API connectivity and support they are providing to the industry.”
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