Visteon Cross Car Beam

Problem/Challenge
When Nissan approached Visteon Interior group to design and prototype their new instrument panel, it was already a very aggressive timeline. With late breaking changes and a 6 week lead time, it would be impossible to get a prototype sheet metal crosscar beam to confirm the fit to the SLA models.

Solutions/Results
Breakthrough! Utilizing a hybrid SLA model that
had been electro-formed with a .006” thick nickel shell, General Pattern was able to use RP Technology (Rapid Prototype) to increase the Hybrid model’s strength tenfold, making the model extremely durable.

Benefit/Impact
In less than 2 weeks, Visteon was able to confirm the dimensional fit between 14 SLA components and their relationship to a simulated metal crosscar beam; identifying over 80 design issues before production tooling was released. In addition, the crosscar beam was robust enough for multiple assembly and disassemblies.

Commercial
Tool Price General Pattern and Visteon shared the cost of this R & D project.
Performance 10 days