Ford Motor Company
Chassis Division

Using 3D Systems’ Actua® printer to Prove Design Concepts Quickly

The product engineering team in the Chassis Division of Ford's Automotive Products Operation needed to design an axle differential case to house a new, more complex technology that would give vehicles more traction control. The new technology required more internal components than their current one-piece case assembly could accommodate. While the design engineers were certain they could produce a functional two-piece case design to house the additional components, they knew it would require the implementation of an entirelynew production line or necessitate out-sourcing. With millions of dollars in manufacturing costs at stake, their challenge was to find a way to fit the new technology into their current one-piece case design and utilize their existing manufacturing technology. 

Because of the size of the components inside the new differential case, the product engineering team was not certain they could implement a one-piece design. So, they concurrently proceeded with the more complex, expensive twopiece design, while they set out to prove the feasibility of the one-piece casing. With only two months to verify their design and submit a quote, they needed a fast and inexpensive means of iterating design models before prototyping. They turned to their Actua printer to validate their new design and meet their tight deadline.

"The Actua printer increased our potential for success by providing an easy, cost-effective method of design verification."
                                                             - Remi Renaud,
                                                             Supervisor of CAD/CAM Design

Communication, Testing – Down the Line
Sketching out their concept in two-dimensional drawings, the product design team began to redesign the original one-piece case to fit the new technology. After developing a design in CAD, they submitted it to the Actua printer, for a full-size, three-dimensional model.

The design team met with other engineers in the development and manufacturing process. With the model in hand, the product design engineers presented a clear picture of the new case design while obtaining important input from the other engineering divisions. "The Actua printer was a crucial communications tool in the development of the new casing. When you have a three-dimensional model sitting in front of you, everyone wants to get their hands on it. The Actua printer really facilitates discussion between various engineering disciplines and is a tremendous benefit to the design process," says John Rutt, Product Designer.

After several design modifications were approved, another iteration was produced. The design was then tested using current manufacturing processes, including simulating cutting applications and running the part down the production line. After adapting the design to accommodate existing manufacturing applications, the case was assembled into the vehicle's axle carrier to test for fit and clearances. Following further modifications, a finalized version was produced with the QuickCastTM build style on an SLA® 500 system and sent to a foundry where an iron prototype was cast.

Millions Saved
All this was accomplished within the sixty-day deadline. "What would have taken months using conventional methods, took just a couple of weeks," says Remi Renaud, Supervisor of CAD/CAM Design. Without the Actua printer, the Ford team would have been forced to resort to the more complex, two-piece differential case design. Production costs would have increased exponentially with the need to redesign the entire existing production line or out-source manufacturing. The Actua allowed them to confidently proceed with their one-piece design which could be produced using their current manufacturing technology. "The Actua printer saved us millions of dollars in manufacturing costs," enthuses Renaud.

Daily Design Verification
Located in the CAD room of the Chassis Division of Ford's Van Dyke Plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan, the Actua printer is used on a daily basis as a quick and inexpensive verification tool for CAD/CAM models and is easily accessible by six design engineers. "The Actua printer paid for itself within the first three months we had it. Our savings are ten-fold over our previous methods of design iteration and validation," says Renaud.