When the new Audi E-Tron GT was launched, Audi Sport's Böllinger Höfe factory in Heilbronn, Germany, urgently needed nearly 200 new tools, jigs, and fixtures for production. Designing these tools takes a lot of time. Outsourcing production can sometimes take weeks to months. This is where design automation and 3D printing provide an unparalleled workflow for Audi Sport.
The Audi Sport Böllinger Höfe plant is a high-end automotive production facility. Its primary production includes the high-performance Audi R8 and the all-electric Audi E-Tron GT. These cars are top-tier products from the renowned German automaker. The assembly line is a testament to German efficiency. Bare car bodies are placed on robotic platforms and mounted on overhead tracks. This train of specialized vehicles then moves through numerous stations where parts specified in the order are installed. It's rare to see two identical cars adjacent to each other, which makes the entire operation even more impressive.
Each station has a limited amount of time to assemble parts and install them on the car body. Therefore, an optimized and efficient workflow is crucial for the technicians. Customized tools, jigs, and fixtures play a huge role in making the technicians' work faster, easier, and more ergonomic.
Cem Guelaylar, Audi Sport's 3D printing expert, said, "We produced almost 800 tools and jigs for the factory here. Outsourcing takes more than just two or three weeks, four weeks, or months. It depends on the supplier and the process of placing orders with them. 3D printing helped us get these tools in a very short time. Workers come to us and say, 'I need a jig to assemble the car.'"
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Different Tools for Different Applications
There are custom tools that assist in aligning parts during installation. For example, when installing the roof or exterior emblems. This not only improves the consistency and quality of the final car but also saves installation time per vehicle. Quality control tools ensure that all cars meet Audi's highest standards. These customized jigs are mounted on car components to measure alignment and tolerances. For example, Audi Sport created a custom jig to focus the Head-Up Display (HUD) on the car's dashboard. This jig uses two laser beams projected onto the installed HUD. When the lasers align, it indicates that the reflective glass is installed correctly.
Many parts require assembly before being installed in the car. Installing tubes on central fluid boards, attaching cables and heat sinks to central control units, and so on. If these components were simply placed on a workbench, the work would become very difficult. This is why Audi Sport uses many jigs in its factory. These jigs hold parts in place, facilitating quick assembly. These jigs not only save time but also greatly impact production consistency. Many jigs are also designed to positively influence worker ergonomics. For example, by holding tools in a better working orientation.
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Design Parts in Minutes, Not Hours
So, when the new E-Tron GT was launched, manufacturing nearly 200 different tools, jigs, and fixtures became a huge challenge. And they needed to do it quickly to start production. Designing these tools requires a lot of time and expertise. They must be precise, easy to use, and easy to produce. This is where trinckle's fixturemate plays an important role. Fixturemate is software specifically designed to create assembly jigs. A part is imported and set to the correct angle. Then a jig is created by adding a base plate, locations where the part needs to be supported, and holes for mounting it to a tabletop. Additionally, there is a ready-made library of tools, such as clamps. The software is very user-friendly, and anyone can use it. Designing tools in traditional CAD software might take hours, whereas in fixturemate it takes only 10-20 minutes.
"We started producing the all-electric Audi E-Tron GT here. This new car required almost two hundred jigs and tools. Fixturemate helped us provide a large number of jigs in a short time," says Guelaylar. "We put the part into Fixturemate, and within minutes we could take the jig out of this software. Normally, in a traditional structure, we would need two, three, or four hours, depending on the size of the part. Fixturemate is very easy to use."
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Benefits of 3D Printing Technology for the Audi Team
The Audi team not only needed to design parts quickly but also to produce them in a very short time. Outsourcing tool production is costly and can take weeks to months. Therefore, Audi began setting up a 3D printing room. With multiple printers like the Ultimaker S5, the Audi team can meet their tool production needs. Now, tools can be printed within a day at a very low cost. There's no need for quotes, introducing suppliers, or waiting for parts to be produced and delivered. When a part doesn't meet requirements, it can be directly improved and reprinted.
The Right Material for the Job
Most jigs are printed using Tough PLA. This material has similar flexural and strength properties to ABS but is much easier to print without the difficulties associated with ABS. There are also tools printed with TPU95a to protect car parts. This soft material is ideal for preventing damage to parts.
With UltiMaker's ecosystem, the Audi team also has access to hundreds of third-party materials. These materials often have very specific properties. One such material used by Audi Sport is ESD-safe PLA, used for jigs that handle electronic components. Preparing to 3D print with these materials is effortless using Ultimaker Cura, as print profiles are freely available on the market.
"We use Tough PLA because it's cheap and easy to use. We mainly use TPU to protect car parts. We also use ESD-safe materials, and sometimes ABS or PETG. For us, 3D printing is a very fast and helpful thing for our factory and our workers," Guelayler continued.
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