BORN Motor, an automotive company based in Barcelona, has achieved cost savings of €2,000 per motorcycle modified thanks to BCN3D Technologies’ Sigma desktop 3D printer.
The company has harnessed the additive manufacturing capabilities of one of its local 3D printing players to do away with traditional processes, and produce end-use parts. In addition to the reductions in cost, BORN Motor also says it is enjoying the benefits of having more time and energy to spend on the development of complex parts.
BORN Motor is a manufacturer of high quality, deconstructed motorcycles, a designer of upgrade kits for the vehicles, and also collaborates in the aesthetic design of several other motorcycle manufacturers. Having always used manufacturing technologies like laser cutting and CNC milling, or even creating custom pieces by hand, BORN has recently adopted the Sigma machine citing its cost and time-saving attributes, as well as the greater design freedom it allows the team.
From the design phase to the manufacturing and testing stages, BORN Motor has streamlined its workflow, iterating faster, and refining designs more efficiently. The company’s engineers can now fabricate end-use parts made of different materials, like Nylon, PET-G or ABS, depending on its application. BCN3D’s Sigma platform is now used on a daily basis at BORN as the company focuses on higher added-value parts. Harnessing 3D printing for internal and non-aesthetic parts has enables BORN to explore new solutions and design strategies, while reducing time-to-market and labour costs.
The time and cost savings BORN has been able to achieve are exemplified in the modification of a dash housing for a Honda CB25. When handcrafting the housing, the BORN team has been able to complete one iteration at a rate of €1,500 per part in 24 hours. Using machining, they were able to complete two iterations of the part at a cost of €250 each, but it took between two and three weeks. When using 3D printing, BORN achieved six iterations per part, at €6 each, and in under eight hours. The costs concerned the labour, materials and service fee.
BCN3D’s Sigma platform was launched earlier this year. It boasts a build volume of 210mm x 297mm x 210mm, is based on Fused Filament Fabrication technology, and supports six sizes of nozzle between 0.3mm and 1.0mm in diameter – 0.4mm is regarded as the standard size. The printer is also compatible with an array of materials – in addition to Nylon, PET-G and ABS, the machine supports PLA, PVA and TPU, among others.
