Como é feita a prototipagem industrial de um farol?

How is industrial prototyping of a lighthouse carried out?

Feature image of industrial prototype

Some people say: prototyping is the lost art of industrial design. As new technologies and tools are constantly developed, modern industrial designers are taking the design process in a simpler direction. Thanks to the development of 3D CAD modeling and rendering software, designers and engineers are also able to convert photorealistic images into a real product prototype.

This article summarizes how an industrial lighthouse prototype is made and which materials are used in industrial design prototyping.

introduction

With the development of the global automotive industry, it now takes significantly less time to produce industrial headlight prototypes for new models and new cars on the market, in order to improve the overall market responsiveness. However, traditional design and manufacturing methods often struggle to keep up with market demand. The question of how to reduce headlight production time and mold manufacturing cycle has become a global problem that requires an immediate solution.

Rapid prototyping can effectively reduce the development cycle and production costs. This allows the production of vehicles and their headlights to be synchronized. Shapes and products that seem too complex or time-consuming for traditional processing can be easily manufactured using rapid prototyping.

Why is a headlamp necessary?

Car headlights, also known as car headlights, are not only related to the aesthetics of a car, but are also an essential part of the car that allows safe navigation when visibility is poor due to the time of day or other environmental factors . For a car's headlight to be fully functional and effective, it is necessary to ensure that the headlight material is completely bright and provides adequate illumination during operation. Visibility of at least 100 m is mandatory. A headlamp consists of a lens, aperture, reflector and housing.

To ensure that each headlamp can be used safely, rigorous testing is carried out on prototype industrial headlights before series production.

Industrial prototype lighthouse

The material used in car headlights

Plastics, whether engineering plastics or general plastics, are the material of choice in the automotive industry. They are now used instead of expensive non-ferrous metals and steel alloys.

Among the many other parts of a car, more and more plastic is being used in headlights, not only to reduce weight but also to provide greater comfort for manufacturers and customers. Headlights made from PC (polycarbonate) and PMMA lenses tend to be more expensive than those made from glass, but on the other hand, headlights made from PC and PMMA offer better performance and durability than glass. These plastics are more durable, scratch-resistant, and lighter than traditional glass.

Structural parts such as the housing are made of ABS, PEI and PCHT. These plastics are robust, durable and lightweight. They are also easier and faster to produce compared to other industrial materials. All these factors make them an ideal alternative to previously used materials.

Reflectors in headlights are usually made from mild steel like P-20 and aluminum like 7075 T-6. Unlike hard steel, the use of these materials can increase processing speed by an astonishing 25% and polishing time is also reduced by approximately eight times. These materials are also lighter compared to hard steel. This can reduce overall manufacturing time, which is crucial for both the manufacturer and the customer.

Industrial prototype lighthouse

Manufacture of headlight prototypes

In addition to traditional prototyping techniques, modern rapid prototyping techniques such as CNC machining and 3D printing are often used today. Below are the various technical applications for the different phases of industrial lighthouse prototypes, based on Wayken's many years of experience and technical knowledge in the field.

Concept creation

Lighthouse concept

Good product design and engineering are essential to the success of any product. Therefore, creating a good concept and proper prototyping are essential before mass production of a headlamp. Concept creation usually involves first drawing by hand to visualize the concept. Industrial-grade CAD software such as Autodesk Inventor and CATIA are used to conceptualize the prototype. After conceptualizing the prototype, it is important to create it with all the characteristics of the final product, instead of focusing only on aesthetics.

Engineering phase

CNC is generally the method of choice for many industrial prototypes. CNC also plays an important role in headlights. Headlight prototypes manufactured using CNC machining are characterized by high response times, short response times and high precision. Turnaround times are generally 1 to 2 weeks. As headlights require high precision, CNC is the best option.

For the headlight frames and lenses, which require high precision, 5-axis CNC prototypes are manufactured. For other structural parts of headlights that require less precision, such as headlight housings, rapid prototyping techniques such as stereolithography (SLA) are used.

SLA industrial prototype for lighthouse

SLA for a headlamp

Once the concept is complete, production itself can take place. Because car headlights are made up of many different small parts, the complete headlight cannot be manufactured using a single 5-axis CNC machining process. Instead, several different components are first manufactured and then assembled.

post-processing

In the subsequent prototyping phase, after assembling all the parts, polishing, gluing, deburring and painting are carried out. For the prototype to be successful and move into series production, it is important that innovative product design is carried out in the early stages of prototype development.

University Degree

Prototyping a headlight can be a challenging task for many designers and engineers because different rapid prototyping techniques and materials are used to produce the final product. To ensure that your manufacturer meets all of your product design and construction needs, you should look for a reliable manufacturer in the city. At Wayken, we are pioneers and leaders in automotive headlight manufacturing and prototyping. We welcome you to bring your ideas from any product design prototyping and turn them into a profitable reality.

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