If you’ve ever been in a car, chances are you’ve interacted with a Brose product. As one of the world’s largest family-owned automotive suppliers, Brose boasts 25,000 employees across 24 countries, partnering with over 80 automotive brands, 40 suppliers, and 50 e-bike manufacturers. Remarkably, every other new vehicle globally is equipped with at least one Brose component, ranging from mechatronic systems to seat structures, door modules, and electric motors.
As a leading innovator in the German automotive landscape, Brose is strategically integrating additive manufacturing (AM) to enhance both their products and manufacturing processes. They leverage diverse AM technologies for prototyping, tooling, and fixtures, and are now setting their sights on serial production of Brose Car Parts. A key addition to their advanced manufacturing arsenal is the Fuse 1, Formlabs’ pioneering benchtop industrial selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printer, playing a crucial role in this transformative journey.
Discover insights from Christian Kleylein, AM Polymer Series Manufacturing Technologist at Brose, as he shares his firsthand experience with the Fuse 1 and outlines Brose’s vision for utilizing 3D printing in the serial production of brose car parts.
Integrating Fuse 1 into Brose’s Industrial Ecosystem
Additive manufacturing has become a core competency for Brose, with their state-of-the-art AM center in Germany serving as a comprehensive hub for prototyping, process and material development, and rigorous validation, supplying parts worldwide.
Brose’s foray into AM began over a decade ago with fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing. Since then, they have rapidly expanded their capabilities to encompass virtually all AM processes available, from stereolithography (SLA) and jetting technologies to selective laser sintering and a substantial fleet of metal 3D printers. This broad adoption underscores Brose’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies for brose car parts innovation.
Brose’s extensive 3D printing infrastructure already included various SLS systems, from compact desktop units to large-scale industrial machines. Their deep expertise with SLS technology made them early adopters of the Formlabs Fuse 1 in Europe. Kleylein notes the seamless integration of the Fuse 1 into their existing industrial environment, contrasting it with the more complex setup of larger machines.
“The setup is remarkably easy. An enclosed, air-conditioned room is essentially all you need. Its compact footprint is a significant advantage. Calibration is minimal; ensuring a level surface is the primary requirement. You simply plug it in, initiate the setup process, and can be printing on the very day of delivery,” Kleylein explains.
“The learning curve is gentle. Your initial print is highly likely to succeed. From there, you can refine parameters and deepen your understanding of the machine.”
Christian Kleylein
Kleylein emphasizes the rigorous testing Brose subjected the Fuse 1 to, pushing its limits with minimal thickness designs and intricate, elongated geometries. He highlighted the consistent dimensional accuracy achieved after process optimization.
“We’ve pushed the Fuse 1 extensively. We printed numerous parts with minimal wall thicknesses and very thin, long features. Our tests revealed that even when dimensional deviations occurred, they were consistently predictable. This predictability allows for process optimization, ultimately yielding highly dimensionally accurate brose car parts,” Kleylein stated.
The Brose team conducted diverse print runs on the Fuse 1, ranging from 12-hour overnight builds to fully maximized build chambers containing over 1000 small components, running for four days.
Kleylein praised the superior surface finish achieved by the Fuse 1, requiring minimal post-processing for brose car parts. “The surface finish is exceptionally smooth, with minimal layer visibility. Parts are ready for use almost immediately after printing and a light blast to remove residual powder. The printer’s precision also allows for intricate features, like exceptionally round and accurate gears,” he added.
Formlabs designed the Fuse 1 to bridge the gap between traditional industrial SLS printers and less capable desktop models. It offers industrial-grade quality, a compact design, and a streamlined workflow at a fraction of the cost of conventional industrial SLS systems, making advanced technology more accessible for creating brose car parts.
“The Fuse 1 is more akin to industrial printers than desktop alternatives. It features a fiber laser and Formlabs’ custom optical scanner system for precise laser beam deflection,” Kleylein elaborated.
“This is a serious machine. It doesn’t feel like a consumer product; it feels like a professional tool. Opening the door, it has an industrial feel and operates flawlessly. Our testing team is extremely satisfied. It integrates seamlessly into an industrial setting for brose car parts development and production.”
Christian Kleylein
Despite the perception that larger printers are necessary for automotive components, Kleylein found the Fuse 1’s build volume adequate for the majority of brose car parts they produce.
“Approximately 80% of our printed parts are about fist-sized or smaller. The Fuse 1 accommodates these parts perfectly. While some parts are larger, and a few are very large, the Fuse 1 covers a significant portion of our needs,” Kleylein clarified.
“The print speed is commendable and likely to improve with further optimization. For a starting point, the Fuse 1 offers a good print speed and an ideal build space for targeted brose car parts applications,” Kleylein commented.
The Fuse 1 system also includes the Fuse Sift, an integrated post-processing station streamlining part extraction, powder recovery, storage, and mixing. This is crucial for efficient material handling in brose car parts production.
“Historically, post-processing equipment for some machines was often an afterthought, sometimes even custom-built for powder mixing. The Fuse Sift is a well-integrated, user-friendly system. Its dust extraction fans minimize the need for extensive personal safety equipment. It effectively sifts powder, separating out unusable particles for recycling. The integrated mixer allows for customizable powder refresh rates, enabling users to print with 100% fresh or recycled powder, or any blend in between, ensuring consistent powder dispersion,” Kleylein detailed.
Kleylein noted the hands-off operation of the Fuse 1 for SLS part production, requiring minimal intervention for build preparation, printer maintenance, and post-processing of brose car parts.
“The Fuse 1 can be operated within a small workshop environment, requiring only a fraction of a technician’s time for operation. The intuitive software simplifies build preparation, and the printing process mirrors larger industrial printers, ensuring efficiency,” Kleylein stated.
“It’s user-friendly and exceptionally well-designed. Restarting the printer is achievable within 30 minutes.”
Christian Kleylein
“The Fuse 1 is highly suitable for print farming. Its operational predictability enables continuous 24/7 printing, maximizing uptime. Idle time is only incurred if build jobs are not fully optimized, potentially pausing over weekends,” Kleylein added, highlighting the efficiency gains for brose car parts production.
SLS for End-Use Brose Car Parts: Spare and End-of-Life Solutions
Brose initially intends to utilize the Fuse 1 for functional prototyping, leveraging its rapid turnaround and Nylon 12 material, which closely matches the properties of their current production materials used in brose car parts. However, Kleylein’s team is already validating parts and developing business cases for end-use applications, primarily focusing on spare parts and components for end-of-life vehicle models.
Automotive suppliers are obligated to provide spare parts even after a car model is discontinued. Traditional methods involve forecasting spare part needs, injection molding large batches, and incurring significant storage costs and potential waste. This is where 3D printing brose car parts offers a compelling alternative.
“This traditional approach is resource-intensive, space-consuming, and costly. With 3D printing, we eliminate the need to store injection molds and vast inventories of parts for 15+ years. The demand for spare and end-of-life brose car parts is substantial, particularly for plastic injection-molded components. By strategically nesting parts within the Fuse 1 build chamber and achieving high build density, we can achieve cost-effectiveness,” Kleylein explained.
“In the automotive sector, delivering the highest quality at the most competitive price is paramount. Currently, SLS 3D printing offers a viable solution for producing up to 10,000 brose car parts annually.”
Christian Kleylein
SLS technology is exceptionally well-suited for production due to several key advantages:
- It produces high-quality parts exhibiting properties comparable to injection-molded components, essential for demanding brose car parts applications.
- It seamlessly integrates into production environments.
- SLS is among the most material-efficient and cleanest AM processes, increasingly crucial for sustainable manufacturing of brose car parts.
“SLS enables the use of engineering-grade polymers for functional brose car parts, eliminating the need for support structures. Post-processing is also clean, with most powder removed before blasting,” Kleylein emphasized.
“Several of Brose’s customers are receptive to this approach, appreciating the near-zero waste potential of 3D printing. We can reuse powder and minimize waste disposal. Furthermore, SLS avoids the use of chemicals requiring recycling. Our goal is for all Brose SLS machines to operate on a zero-waste basis by the end of next year,” Kleylein stated, underscoring the sustainability benefits of 3D printing brose car parts.
The Future of SLS in Serial Production of Brose Car Parts
Ultimately, Brose aims to leverage SLS for serial production of brose car parts for next-generation vehicles, a vision Christian Kleylein believes is rapidly approaching.
“Prototyping and spare parts are immediate applications achievable now. Based on current technological advancements, I anticipate serial production within four to five years.”
Christian Kleylein
Realizing this vision requires two pivotal shifts: integrating AM considerations into product development from the initial design phase and further reducing material and machine costs for brose car parts production.
“The primary hurdle is educating product designers about the capabilities of 3D printing and empowering them to design specifically for AM. Simply replicating injection-molded designs in 3D printing will rarely be cost-effective. Design optimization for the AM process is crucial,” Kleylein emphasized.
“The determining factor is production volume and the efficiency of traditional manufacturing methods. When the value proposition aligns, we will utilize the most efficient production system. We are not forcing 3D printing onto products, but if it emerges as the optimal production method for brose car parts, we will embrace it,” Kleylein concluded.
By lowering the entry barrier to industrial-grade SLS 3D printing, the Fuse 1 is instrumental in facilitating this transition towards production applications for brose car parts. Brose is actively expanding its 3D printing capabilities, with a second plastic AM workshop under construction in the US, set to receive their first Fuse 1 unit soon.
“Significant challenges remain, but the Fuse 1 represents a highly capable product at a very competitive price point, making it a key enabler for the future of brose car parts manufacturing.”
Christian Kleylein
Explore the Fuse 1 and discover how it can revolutionize your automotive part production.
