Suzhou Zhenjing Automobile Technology Co., Ltd. is a manufacturer of personalized car seats and its parts integrating R&D and manufacturing. At present, the main modified models are GL8 and Mercedes-Benz business.
After purchasing the SLA printer and VoxelDance Additive data preparation software of Shuzao Technology in 2022, it began to officially use 3D printing technology in the product development stage to make rapid prototypes (Rapid Prototyping).
Source: VoxelDance Mange Technology
In the product development stage, rapid prototyping can help designers and engineers verify and improve designs, so it is very important. Before adopting 3D printing technology, Suzhou Zhenjing’s prototypes were all outsourced to prototype manufacturers. Not only did they have to bear the risk of design data leakage, but also the cost of prototype production was high and the cycle was very long.
Now with the use of 3D printing technology, only one printer and one printing technician are needed, and all the fast prototypes in the design and development process can be completed within the company, which saves 80% of the cost compared to the previous one.
For any industry, it is a very good thing if the R&D cycle can be shortened, and the automotive industry is no exception. Self-printing saves communication with outsourced prototype manufacturers, production scheduling time, eliminates the procurement process, and improves development efficiency. It used to take 1-2 weeks, but 3D printing can be completed in 2-3 days.
▲Zhenjing 3D printed samples mainly include: seat back panel, armrest cover, headrest decoration, front seat back panel and leg rest, etc.
Important features of Suzhou Zhenjing using VoxelDance Additive include:
Automatic placement. The automatic placement of VoxelDance Additive provides a variety of self-positioning methods for SLA printing needs. For elongated parts, select and place the scraper vertically to prevent the parts from being scratched by the scraper. Large-area parts are preferentially placed in the middle of the printing platform, which can improve the success rate of printing parts. If the platform is not full, place it in the minimum x/y direction, which can reduce the movement distance of the scraper and increase the printing speed.
Angle optimization. For SLA printing, it is generally arranged according to fewer supports, which can reduce the support volume and save printing materials.
Automatic bracing and slicing. The optimal printing parameter script is set by the process engineer of Shuzao Technology. The user only needs to select the script, and the support and slice will be automatically generated with one click. For some parts with large size and wide area, use manual support and add block support in the middle of the part, which can reduce the risk of part printing failure.
