Loctite 3D printing provides solutions for the Simracing market

The Challenge

O-Rouge needed to develop a Simracing seat with internal cooling in a new project that required small series production of 400 – 1000 parts per year. The application looks like a simple mesh part, but due to the whole system’s design, it needs to withstand mechanical loads over time. The main challenge was finding a manufacturing method and material that was strong enough to withstand these heavy loads and vibrations and be UV stable with a high finishing and accuracy.

To find a suitable solution, O-Rouge leveraged the expertise of Tenco DDM, a service bureau with expertise in photopolymer industrial 3D printing. After their initial review of the project, Tenco DDM decided the DLP 3D printing process was the most suitable technology to satisfy the customer’s needs.

The Solution

Tenco knew that 3D printing was the best solution to manufacture these vents for the internal cooling system. To find a material that could work in the demanding environment, Tenco looked to Henkel LOCTITE. Henkel LOCTITE 3D Printing offers a diverse portfolio of engineering-grade resins for various DLP platforms. After evaluating the LOCTITE materials portfolio, LOCTITE 3D IND406 HDT100 High Elongation was selected as the best solution for their application requirements. LOCTITE 3D IND406 HDT100 High Elongation is a tough, rigid, and durable 3D printing resin that performs well in industrial applications requiring high temperature use. The material offers all-round strength, good impact resistance, and high elongation. The new vent for the Simracing seat internal cooling system were printed on Rapidshape’s i30+ 3D printer.

Benefits

By utilizing LOCTITE 3D IND406 and the DLP printing process, Tenco was able to create a cost-effective solution for O-Rouge. 3D printing with LOCTITE 3D IND406 HDT100 High Elongation ensures that outstanding mechanical properties are realized with high durability and excellent surface finish to meet these production parts’ requirements.

Using LOCTITE 3D materials, you can print strong parts with a high level of detail in small batches. By leveraging LOCTITE 3D IND406 HDT100 High Elongation on Rapidshape’s i30+, Tenco could print 40 cooling vent in a single print job. As LOCTITE 3D IND406 HDT100 High Elongation is black, the parts have the right color out of the machine and do not need a lot of intensive post-processing.

The parts are created in the required batches when the seats are ordered, so there’s no stock of parts. This is a considerable advantage in lead time and manufacturing savings compared to traditional manufacturing methods such as injection molding, where tool investment and larger production quantities would be needed.