In 2022, a Polish automotive collector determined to revive a Porsche 911 and convert it to electrical drive. At first, he had a couple of minor visible modifications in thoughts. Over time, nonetheless, the imaginative and prescient grew, finally remodeling into one thing far larger – the creation of a fully distinctive mannequin that exists nowhere else on the planet.
Looking for somebody to hold out the undertaking, he turned to CadXpert, one of many largest and longest-established AM firms in Poland. CadXpert can be a number one distributor of commercial 3D printers, together with as a Stratasys platinum reseller, in addition to Formlabs and BLT.
The lead designer was Fryderyk Zyska. Already in the course of the first conferences, the shopper spoke about himself, his passions and way of life, in addition to his automotive assortment. These conversations had been no coincidence. Each element of the undertaking was meant to mirror the proprietor’s persona – not merely a powerful physique.
Step one was the usage of a 3D scanner. The automotive was scanned a number of occasions, permitting for an ideal mapping of its construction and dimensions. It was on this foundation that the designs for the brand new physique parts had been created. Three scanning units had been used within the undertaking: FreeScan Trak Nova, FreeScan Combo Plus and AutoScan Inspec.
The shopper initially had doubts in regards to the feasibility of the whole enterprise. The turning level got here with the primary check wheel arch. When he noticed it, his doubts vanished. From that second on, he positioned his full belief within the CadXpert group.
The engineers’ process was clear, however demanding. The floor fashions created by the automotive designers needed to be reworked into components that might be manufactured utilizing obtainable applied sciences and had been able to be fitted to the automotive. The parts to be designed included bumpers, panels and inside components.
The design work alone took 750 hours, whereas manufacturing consumed an additional 4,500. The method made use of 5 completely different 3D printing applied sciences, every for a special utility. FDM know-how was used to supply the whole exterior bodykit – together with bumpers, diffusers, splitters, sills and wheel arches – in addition to the dashboard, centre tunnel, seat housings and boot liner.
SLA know-how was used for vent housings and grilles, the SPICA emblem, ornamental trims and centre tunnel parts. SAF know-how lined mirror housings, mounts, hooks, clips, wheel cap covers and structural parts. PolyJet know-how was used to supply the gear knob, key fob and dashboard frames, whereas DMLS know-how was used to print the vent mechanisms.
Smaller parts had been produced on customary printers, whereas bigger and extra demanding ones – akin to wheel arches, sills and bumper components – had been dealt with by a large-format printer. This saved the necessity for bonding to a minimal. Seven units had been utilized in complete: Stratasys F770 FDM, Stratasys Fortus 450mc FDM, Stratasys F370 FDM, Stratasys J55 Polyjet, Formlabs Form4L SLA, Stratasys H350 SAF and Formlabs Fuse 1+ SLS.
The load-bearing constructions had been constituted of aluminium, with particular person parts minimize and welded. The precision of the 3D printing was important right here, as each millimetre needed to be actual.
A significant benefit of the whole course of was the flexibility to hold it out in a single location, by a single group. This shortened the time wanted to cross data between phases and ensured consistency all through the undertaking from begin to end.
From the very starting, the SPICA undertaking was one thing greater than only a automotive modification. Each element was intentional, each kind contributed to the entire. It’s the results of an professional group’s work and the expertise gained by related initiatives.
Taking a look at SPICA right this moment, it’s laborious to cross by indifferently. This can be a automotive that stays within the reminiscence, because of the originality of its design and the precision of its execution – proof that 3D printing mixed with good design can flip even the boldest imaginative and prescient into actuality.
