Case Study: a major advantage of additive manufacturing company reduces scrap and improves efficiency with Materialise metal 3D printing

Rethinking and Redesigning Upgrading an Automotive Tool with Additive Manufacturing

Materialise worked with a major advantage of additive manufacturing company on a lamination tool used in automotive drape forming. The customer needed to eliminate problems caused by conventionally milled metal tooling, including long cycle times, inconsistent heating and glue distribution, and excess scrap.

Materialise redesigned the tool using metal 3D printing and design and engineering expertise, while still using aluminum to meet temperature and pressure requirements. The new part combined two components into one, cut mass by 51%, avoided support structures, and used optimized internal channels for more uniform heating and cooling, improving efficiency, reducing scrap, and speeding up cycle times.