SEALING THE BARGAIN
Sealed FDM Functional Prototypes Help Improve
Performance of Automotive Aftermarket Manifolds
“The lower cost and shorter delivery time of FDM prototypes is enabling the aftermarket
manufacturer to make rapid improvements in the performance of their product.”
— Frank Medina, Director, W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation
Located on the University of Texas at El Paso campus, the W.M. Keck Center for
3D Innovation delivers high-quality rapid prototyping and rapid production services in
state-of-the-art facilities housing 16 commercial rapid prototyping machines. The center
produces parts ranging from surgical models to tissue engineering scaffolds to product
prototypes for medical professionals, manufacturers, researchers and others who seek
to transform their ideas into three dimensions.
Recently a manufacturer of automotive
aftermarket products came to the center
looking to improve its product development
process. The company was developing an
aftermarket intake manifold to replace the
factory–original, plastic manifold on the Ford
4.6 liter SOHC engine. The factory manifold
sometimes cracked and was subject to
several recalls. The aftermarket manufacturer
planned to build a new, more rugged, castaluminum manifold that adds 15 horsepower
on natural aspiration engines and 25
horsepower on blower/turbo engines.
FDM manifold for functional testing.
How Did FDM Compare to Traditional
Prototyping Methods?
Method
Cost
Time
CNC Machined $30,000
6 weeks
FDM Manifold
$5,740
3 weeks
SAVINGS
$24,260
(81%)
3 weeks
(50%)
CAD model of manifold showing
internal features.
Development of a new intake manifold is challenging because of the need to tune
the geometry of the internal passages in order to optimize the performance of the
engine. The aftermarket manufacturer had performed computer simulation of airflow
through various manifold designs and wanted to do physical testing on the designs that
appeared promising. The conventional method of building prototypes is machining a
solid block of aluminum. Machining a manifold required about 100 hours of labor, took
about six weeks and cost about $30,000 because of the geometric complexity.
Frank Medina, director of the Keck Center, suggested building the prototype using
the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology. FDM is an additive manufacturing
process that builds plastic parts layer-by-layer, using data from computer-aided design
(CAD) files. FDM parts withstood the high temperatures experienced in functional
testing of the intake manifold. FDM also provided the mechanical strength and
dimensional accuracy required for the application. “The primary challenge in this
application was that the surface of the FDM part needed to be sealed before it could
be used for functional airflow testing.” Medina said.
MAKE YOUR IDEAS REAL.
Production manifold.
Technicians at the Keck center evaluated two different sealing methods. First, they placed the FDM part in Stratasys’ Finishing
Touch Smoothing Station and added a smoothing agent that vaporized to seal the part’s surfaces. This method is very easy,
and it preserves the dimensional accuracy of the part. The other method involves coating the part with TC-1614 two-part
epoxy from BJB Enterprises. The advantage of this approach is its ability to withstand higher temperatures and air pressures.
“The aftermarket manufacturer tested FDM parts sealed with both methods and found they provided good performance in
functional testing on an automotive engine.” Medina concluded. “FDM prototypes cost only about $5,490 to build and $250
to seal for a total cost of $5,740. The parts can be built and delivered in only three weeks. The lower cost and shorter delivery
time of FDM prototypes is enabling the aftermarket manufacturer to make rapid improvements in the performance of
their product.”
For more information about Stratasys systems, materials and applications, call 888.480.3548 or visit www.stratasys.com
Stratasys Incorporated
7665 Commerce Way
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
+1 888 480 3548 (US Toll Free)
+1 952 937 3000 (Intl)
+1 952 937 0070 (Fax)
www.stratasys.com
[email protected]
Stratasys GmbH
Weismüllerstrasse 27
60314 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
+49 69 420 994 30 (Tel)
+49 69 420 994 333 (Fax)
www.stratasys.com
[email protected]
ISO 9001:2008 Certified
©2011 Stratasys Inc. All rights reserved. Stratasys, Fortus, Dimension, uPrint and FDM are registered trademarks and Real Parts, Fortus 360mc,
Fortus 400mc, Fortus 900mc, Finishing Touch, Insight, Control Center and FDM TEAM are trademarks of Stratasys Inc., registered in the United
States and other countries. *ULTEM 9085 is a trademark of SABIC Innovative Plastics IP BV. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners. Product specifications subject to change without notice. Printed in the USA. SSYS-ACS-Keck-Sealing-04-11