Custom Audi Sports prints tools and fixtures with Ultimaker

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Ultimaker B.V.

Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association (TMBA)

Wuxi InfiMotion Technology Co., Ltd.

SIMTOS (Seoul International Machine Tool Show)

With the development of the Audi E-Tron GT, Audi Sport Böllinger needed almost 200 new tools and fixtures. Design automation and 3D printing aided in the rapid implementation.

Audi Sport Böllinger has focused production on the Audi R8 and the electric Audi E-Tron GT. In doing so, they use robot-assisted platforms for body assembly, which can be imagined as a kind of train. At each of the many stations, a certain time has to be kept for the respective assembly steps. Therefore, the workflow must be smooth and efficient. Time and ergonomic advantages are achieved through customer-specific tools and fixtures. These are manufactured by Böllinger in the hundreds using 3D printing, because manufacturing by external partners can take weeks and months. If an employee needs something special to better support his work, it takes at most a day until the tool is produced additively.

Customized tools benefit the production and the mechanic

For example, Audi Sport Böllinger has developed a custom fixture that can precisely focus the head-up display (HUD) on the dashboard. They use two laser beams to determine if the display is properly positioned. The fixtures made by 3D printing not only save hours but also have a major impact on production stability. Much is also designed to have a positive impact on worker ergonomics. For example, by better aligning tools for work and holding them more comfortably.

The Fixturmate software is also used

Fixturemate is a software specifically developed for creating assembly fixtures. A component is imported in the form of data and set at a right angle. Then the fixture is created. This includes a library of commercial tools such as clamping systems. The software is considered user-friendly enough for anyone to use. And while designing tools in traditional CAD software can take hours, it only takes 10 to 20 minutes in Fixturemate, the experts emphasize. A dedicated CAD designer is also no longer needed. But as mentioned, Audi Sport not only needed a quick design of the parts, but they also had to be produced in the shortest possible time.

With Ultimaker printers and a pool of plastics

That's why Audi started with 3D printing. Multiple printers (like the Ultimaker S5) now allow Audi Sport to meet tooling needs. Tools can also be printed at a fraction of the usual cost. There's no need to request quotes, notify suppliers, and wait for the production and delivery of parts. Most fixtures, by the way, are printed with Tough PLA. This material has bending and strength properties similar to ABS, but is very easy to print without the challenges of ABS. There are also tools that were printed with TPU95a to protect car parts. The soft material is perfect for preventing parts from getting damaged. Thanks to Ultimaker's expertise, Audi Sport also has access to hundreds of third-party materials. One of these materials is called ESD-safe PLA, which is used for fixtures handling electronic components. And preparing 3D prints with these materials is also effortless with Ultimaker Cura, because the print profiles are available on the market for free.