Sika_ClaimU_pos_rgb-copy-80x80
Success Story

Gaining Control Over Acoustic Development

  
Chapter I

Introduction

Maximizing efficiency,
while reducing development times

Sika Automotive, a preferred partner for leading OEMs and automotive component suppliers, needed to streamline prototyping and pre-series production for their innovative heat-expandable acoustic inserts. 3devo’s Composer 350 Filament Maker, capable of extruding heat-reactive, low-temp materials, has helped Sika switch to in-house 3D printing.

Background

Sika Automotive is a global leader in automotive bonding, sealing, damping and reinforcing solutions. The company develops lightweight, robust and customized chassis components for prominent German, French and U.K. OEMs. Sika’s state-of-the-art acoustic inserts are engineered using a proprietary material called SikaBaffle®. 3devo’s Composer 350 allows them to process this heat-reactive, highly expandable thermoplastic into 3D printable filament, thus paving the way for efficient and streamlined in-house prototyping and pre-series production.

Acoustic-105-1-jpg
Cavity Sealer
Sika Automotive now develops high-quality, accurately designed vehicle cavity sealers in-house.
  
Chapter II

The Challenge

Sika’s complex expandable cavity sealers for vehicle body-in-white are made using SikaBaffle®, a highly expandable, heat-reactive thermoplastic. A typical cavity sealer requires 5-10 design iterations. Injection molding these prototypes was a lengthy and resource-intensive process, prompting Sika to consider in-house 3D printing as an alternative. For this, they required a cost-effective filament extruder that could process medium melt flow index polymers like SikaBaffle® without changing its chemical composition.

sika-3devo-setup_.jpg
Rapid Prototyping
Using 3devo's solution Sika is able to accelerate in-house production.
  
Chapter III

The Solution

In order to 3D print their cavity sealers, Sika needed a filament maker that could successfully process SikaBaffle®, a material that had already been tested and was available in pellet form. A low melting point of 90°C made SikaBaffle® incompatible with most extruders. The 3devo Composer 350, however, was able to successfully extrude the material. It joined Sika’s manufacturing facility in December 2018, along with the German RepRap 3D printer.

Acoustic-101-1-jpg
The Solution
3D printed SikaBaffle® components are now prototyped, tested and validated with greater efficiency.
“With the support of a reliable filament extruder trimmed to our proprietary materials, we’ve been able to accelerate the introduction of 3D printing applications for our acoustic sealing solutions, thus enabling our automotive OEM customers to reduce development time and efforts.”
jose-bautista-sika-3devo-80x80
Jose Bautista

Global Product Manager (Acoustic and Sealing Foams)

  
Chapter IV

Workflow Highlights

  • Complete control over component modifications and improvements
    Sika’s new in-house 3D printing setup facilitated by the Composer 350 allows prototypes to be physically tested and modified – offering more accuracy and freedom than on-screen calculations.
  • Reduced dependence on tooling or third-party suppliers
    By choosing in-house 3D printing over third-party injection molding, Sika enjoys a high degree of autonomy over prototyping and production. The company’s pre-series production schedules are no longer dependent on tooling or external sources.
  • Lead times reduced by 90% for SikaBaffle® components
    Thanks to the freedom, efficiency and control offered by in-house filament extrusion and 3D printing, lead times for SikaBaffle® cavity sealers have dropped from 4-8 weeks to 2-5 days.
printer-3devo-sika-copy-scaled
Complete Control
Full in-house control over prototyping and production.
“Thanks to the extruder, we are able to process our proprietary materials in our 3D printer. Now, we can test and validate new designs within a day or two.”
thomas-gasparri-sika-3devo-80x80
Thomas Gasparri
Senior Program and Additive Manufacturing Manager

More Success Stories