Having successfully integrated 3D printing into its production process in its Barcelona factory, Nissan now has the proven capability to expand its use of the technology in the UK. The car manufacturer has been using 3D FFF (fused filament fabrication) technology from BCN3D to create tools , jigs and fixtures for its manufacturing line in Spain and the time and cost savings have been so impressive that it could soon roll it out to more manufacturing sites.

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t has created 700 parts so far, with some costing as little as €3.45 to manufacture. Previously Nissan outsourced all of its prototypes and jigs to mechanical suppliers who used traditional manufacturing methods, such as CNC and drilling. Although the quality of the finished product was good, the lead times were long and inflexible, and the costs were high. Even simple tools could cost in the region of €400 for machining. By printing some of these parts in-house with 3D printers, Nissan has cut the time of designing, refining and producing parts from one week to just one day and slashed costs by 95%. Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is becoming more popular in the automotive sector, helping manufacturers to shorten development […]

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