31/01/23
Summary
RM Motors is a Polish company manufacturing performance cars’ exhaust systems, which distributes its products globally. Having started from downpipe and sport muffles production, the company quickly evolved to extend its offer with catalysts, catalyst inserts, exhaust systems tips and various other accessories for modifying exhaust systems. RM Motors’ headquarters, located in Olsztyn, Poland, includes a well-equipped machine park, where one can find, amongst others, CNC machines, welding robots, pipe benders, scanners, and two Zortrax Endureal industrial 3D printers.
An example of 3D printer machine park in an automotive company
Two Zortrax Endureal 3D printers are used by RM Motors to upgrade other machines in their production hall
3D printers play a significant role in manufacturing end-use parts for cars with the use of specialized materials, but their applications in the automotive industry do not end there. They can be successfully applied to upgrade specialized machines as well, and this is exactly what RM Motors have used Zortrax Endureal for. They have 3D printed two parts, which serve the roles of key machine components: a die and a stamp, used in the process of stamping thermal insulation. The material for this purpose was Zortrax Ultrat, a highly durable ABS-based 3D printing filament. It is suitable for automotive industry as well as various engineering applications, as it stays unaffected by high temperatures and impacts. Hence, extensive, demanding tests, conducted in adverse environments can be conducted with Zortrax Ultrat.
The two parts 3D printed on Zortrax Endureal industrial 3D printer to upgrade a roll press in the automotive workshop: a die and a stamp.
Before implementing 3D printing technology into their business, the company had to rely on milling, which has more design constraints and is more expensive than additive manufacturing. Introducing 3D printers helped solve these issues. Having Zortrax Endureal in their workshop allows the team to obtain nearly all stamp shapes imaginable at any time and guarantees lower material consumption compared to standard manufacturing methods. Thanks to this, the process and production time has been streamlined and now depends only on the workshop employees.
Once RM Motors engineers upgraded the roll press with 3D printed elements, they could move on to stamp thermal insulation on-the-spot, and they can now do it whenever need be. Now, what does such a process look like, step-by-step?
The engineer carefully placing insulation in between the die and a stamp in the machine
The upper part of the machine lowers and stamps a desired shape on the insulation in between the 3D printed parts.
The engineer obtains a target insulation with a desired shape.
Thermal insulation is a practical solution, which solves two main problems: climate control inside a vehicle and heat-related issues under the hood. With this solution, the owner has control over the temperature in the automobile – the insulation helps reduce the impact of the hot sun in summer and provide more warmth in the car in winter. Thermal barriers are also used to prevent engine and exhaust heat from coming through the firewall and floorboards.
The target thermal insulation stamped with roll press customized with 3D printed die and stamp, featuring RM Motors’ logo.
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