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French carmaker uses 3D printing to produce luxury titanium parts

DS Automobiles created something unique in the automotive sector by going beyond the limits of traditional manufacturing. With the expertise provided by Spartacus3D and the capabilities of EOS additive manufacturing (AM) solutions, they were able to manufacture high-quality, uniquely designed accessories for DS 3 limited-edition cars.

In the automotive sector, limited editions of successful models are a smart marketing move. However, car makers are always looking for specific ways to distinguish themselves from their competitors within their market segments.

Door handle frame with titanium grid: DS Automobiles produced 200 of these high-quality components with EOS' M 290 3D Printer.

 

 

DS Automobiles, a brand of the PSA Group (Peugeot S.A.), managed to establish itself in the premium market within a few years thanks to a series of iconic models. The compact DS 3 model has received widespread recognition throughout this segment, with limited-edition models being unveiled on a regular basis.

For the Dark Side edition, DS Automobile wanted to go further than the usual equipment by including 3D-printed parts to highlight their continuous dedication to innovation. Additive manufacturing gave complete creative freedom to the DS design team, as well as very fast and easy implementation and production thanks to Spartacus3D, an industrial expert in additive manufacturing working with an EOS M 290 machine. The M 290 is a midsize metal 3D-printing system that can make use of a broad portfolio of materials. It has a build volume of 250 x 250 x 325 mm (9.85 x 9.85 x 12.8 in.).

Challenge
The project started when the DS Design team began looking for innovative enhancements to the interior of the DS 3 limited edition. The accessories needed to highlight the car maker's constant search for innovation while satisfying the highest standards of quality demanded by the premium market.

VIDEO: New DS 3 | Proximity Keyless Entry & Start.

From the very beginning, the designers decided to leverage the potential of additive manufacturing to create a world-first in this field. Additive manufacturing opens up brand new design possibilities; DS Automobiles presents several limited editions for the DS 3 every year, so having these new options is a real game changer for the team.

The design team chose titanium, a material that gives a luxury touch, is resistant, and enables an easy and good-looking finish. However, while 3D printing is commonly used in the automotive sectors for prototyping, serial production with AM is still very rare, especially for metal parts. Therefore, DS Automobiles had to find a partner with both additive manufacturing expertise and enough production capacity to accommodate their volume requirements.

The objective was to deliver around 700 cars onto the markets worldwide. The project also had a limited development time frame to match the production planning of the car, with very precise targets in terms of a go-to-market date. Each limited edition has a specific price target, so all additively manufactured parts must fit into the overall budget. The investigation phase resulted in the choice of two parts: the door handle and the key holder.

The DS 3 unlocks when you come within 2 m of the car. The door handles, which blend into the silhouette, then appear automatically.

 

 

Spartacus3D, a subsidiary of the French material transformation group Farinia, met all these requirements: Having used 3D printing for years, the company has very deep knowledge of additive manufacturing to help it translate the designs provided by the DS team into production.

With their EOS M 290 machine and EOS Titanium Ti64, Spartacus3D possessed all the tools needed to meet the design and quality requirements that DS Automobiles was seeking, as well as the production and post-treatment capacities required to deliver the project on time.

Solution
The DS design team used an innovative parametric design to create the inside door handle covers and the electronic key holder detail in a very intricate titanium mesh, highlighting the innovation and quality dedication of DS Automobiles.

EOS' M 290 is a highly productive, modular mid-size metal 3D-printing system.

 

 

In order to find the best compromise between quality, cost, and design, many iterations were necessary between the DS design team and Spartacus3D. These included the manufacturing of several prototypes, something that additive manufacturing makes particularly easy to perform in a single production batch. As part of this process, the DS design team also selected the finish of the parts; they ultimately settled on an attractive matte finish obtained by manual polishing.

The quality team defined precise acceptance criteria for the distortion, surface quality (e.g. porosity and shine), and cutting edges. While this was being worked out, Spartacus3D also worked on optimizing the production of the parts in order to reduce the costs. Spartacus3D not only needed to determine the best orientation and support structure, but also needed to refine their proprietary laser melting strategy.

Titanium is known to generate some residual stresses during the melting process, and the long and thin door handle cover was a good candidate for maximum distortion. Adding a stress-relieving heat treatment was not viable cost-wise; instead, some specific parameters were used to prevent this risk. Other ways of shrinking the cost included increasing the parts per batch or reducing the number of supports, the powder consumption, the post-processing time, etc.

Additively manufactured titanium component for the DS3 limited-edition car: Inside door handle covers with a very intricate titanium mesh on the upper side.

 

 

The AM expertise of Spartacus3D was invaluable throughout every step of the process, from design engineering to 3D-printing optimization, resulting in shorter product development life cycles and quicker time-to-market. Selecting the optimal material helped to ensure rigidity and guarantee maximum part quality after post-processing.

"Being selected to partner with DS Automobiles on this very innovative project is a privilege," says Charles de Forges, managing director of Spartacus3D. "Their brand has faithfully represented elegance and know-how in the French automotive industry for years. This also means that our efforts are being rewarded and shows that Spartacus3D is capable of offering robust solutions for serial production. Using the DMLS systems that we have in our workshop, we knew we would be able to produce the best parts."

Results
Thanks to the 3D-printing expertise of Spartacus3D, it was possible to develop an additive manufacturing strategy optimized for the requirements of the DS design team.

The material, EOS Titanium Ti64, allowed for post-production finishing, giving a shiny surface and a premium look to the door handle covers.

 

 

The parametric design fully leverages the potential of EOS technology: The very complex original design of the two parts could be produced almost one to one thanks to additive manufacturing, and the part-making was optimized so multiple units could be manufactured at the same time. This reduced the production costs to a minimum.

The material, EOS Titanium Ti64, also allowed for post-production finishing, giving a shiny surface and a premium look to the door handle covers and key holder. The results could almost be described as art with a sleek, refined design and a very intricate structure that perfectly combines French elegance, innovation, and premium exclusivity -- everything that DS Automobiles stands for.

There were about 10 production runs for a total of 2,000 pieces -- three items in each car -- taking roughly 2,000 hours of manufacturing. The whole project was completed in just a few weeks from the validation of the design by the DS design team to the delivery of the final parts.

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EOS

DS Automobiles

Source: EOS

Published December 2023

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