Center console carrier
SPE Award 2024 - “Grand Award” category
Center console carrier production
Vehicle manufacturer: BMW AG
Raw material manufacturer: AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH
Machine manufacturer: Hans Weber Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Parts manufacturer: BMW AG
The production of the center console support, a critical component in automotive engineering, has undergone an impressive transformation. With a production volume of around 8000 units per year and a weight of around 10 kg per unit, an additive manufacturing process is being used for the first time. This innovative process, known as Large Scale Printing (LSP), combines robotic printing with downstream mechanical finishing and marks a significant advance in manufacturing technology.
The LSP process is characterized by in significantly reduced cost. The key factors here are the use of granulate as the printing material (instead of powder or filaments), the high output of the end effector and the low investment costs for a system setup.
High-performance materials and process stability
Another advantage of the LSP process is the use of highly filled, fiber-reinforced injection molding granulate. This material not only offers outstanding mechanical properties (modulus of elasticity >14 GPa, breaking stress >160 MPa, elongation at break >3.5%), but also excellent processability and low distortion during component production. These properties guarantee the high quality and durability of the components produced.
Source spe-CE.de
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Economy and efficiency of the LSP process
The LSP process is characterized by its exceptional cost-effectiveness.
Use of granulate as the printing material (instead of powder or filaments), which significantly reduces material costs.
High output of the end effector, which processes more than 1 kg/h, enables fast and efficient production.
Low investment costs for the system setup, which lowers the entry barrier for implementing this technology.
Design optimization and function integration
Thanks to an intelligent component design, it was possible to optimize the center console carrier compared to the previous differential hybrid design (metal/plastic) by integrating functions. The number of parts was reduced from 7 to 1. In addition to the elimination of additional master and forming tools, the value chain (e.g. assembly) can be significantly shortened.
All relevant functional requirements were confirmed by simulation and hardware tests (KWT shaker, natural frequency/modal analysis, strength and stiffness verification, crash simulation). The process used makes it possible for the first time to implement a series project of the present component and batch size in additive manufacturing.
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Sustainability through material substitution and increased efficiency
Compared to the previous aluminum hybrid design of the center console carrier, a significant contribution to the sustainability of the vehicle can be achieved. By implementing the new process and material, approx. 84 kg of CO2 per unit can be saved per vehicle.
The material used (PA 11 ICF 40) is characterized by a CO2 footprint of only 1.6 kg CO2/kg: AKROMID® NEXT U28 ICF 40 1 black (8238)
The PA11 polymer used is bio-based and is obtained from the seeds of the castor oil plant. Its cultivation does not compete with food production.
The use of a PIR carbon fiber as reinforcement effectively reduces the CO2 footprint of the compound.