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.

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.

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.