| Part pick-up and part roadster,
Chevrolet's Super Sport Roadster (SSR) took just 30 months to go from
concept car to series production, a demanding schedule that could not
have been achieved without the support of key engineering companies. One
of these was Auburn Engineering of Rochester Hills, Michigan that was
contracted to produce full size interior and exterior prototypes.
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The
Chevrolet SSR took just 30 months to go from concept car to
series production due to innovative rapid prototyping processes
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In March 2002, Auburn Engineering was contracted to produce rapid prototypes
of every plastic component in the SSR's interior. The instrument panel,
dashboard, consoles, door panels, cup holders and stereo bezels were just
the start of all the moulded plastic parts that were prototyped, all of
which were produced in Somos 9100 series resins because of their ability
to get the job done quickly and accurately.
To meet the aggressive delivery schedule of the SSR, the interior components
went directly from design to production tooling. With GM’s plans
and hopes, there was no room for failure, problems or delays. So, after
the release of the production tooling order, Auburn Engineering was asked
to develop the prototypes for a full size buck of the interior. Concurrent
with the tooling order, designers would review the prototypes to confirm
that form, fit, function and flair where inherent in the SSR's design.
Relying on DSM Somos 9100 series resins for all of its stereolithography
(SL) prototypes and patterns, Auburn Engineering selected the Somos 9120
for its combination of speed, durability and flexibility. Assembly on
the buck required both snap fits and screw mountings. To achieve the desired
results, the Somos 9120 prototypes had to withstand both the rigours of
assembly and the demands of the review process. Auburn Engineering believes
that lesser resins would not have satisfied the application, and slower
resins would have yielded a delay in the delivery of the prototypes.
"The Somos 9000 series resins rapidly created accurate, flexible
parts for a complete replica of the vehicle's interior," says Michael
Vincek, national sales manager of Auburn Engineering.
"This gave us the ability to create new parts or sections quickly
when designs were changed. The Somos material properties allowed us to
secure the parts on the buck, without breaking, and provided an accurate
representation of the finished product, saving a significant amount of
time and money in tooling," he adds.
Auburn Engineering had just two weeks to complete the prototypes. The
last chance to modify any design for the production tooling would come
from a design review meeting scheduled a few weeks after it began receiving
digital data. Using their five SL systems and Somos 9120 resin, Auburn
Engineering's team worked day and night to deliver the large quantity
of prototypes on time.
Evaluating form, fit, and visual appeal, each prototype was carefully
crafted and finished for accuracy and aesthetics. Many of the prototypes
were painted to simulate the colour scheme and materials within the cockpit.
Upon delivery, the prototypes were assembled onto the buck for the design
review. Although tooling had already been released, and in some cases
in progress, the design team was able to detect and incorporate several
modifications into the final production release.
Pleased with the earlier results of the Somos 9100 series prototypes for
the interior buck, Auburn Engineering's work was extended to exterior
components. Prototypes included the facia and the grille, claimed by Chevrolet
to be one of the signature features of the SSR. For these applications,
Auburn Engineering elected to use its rubber moulding capabilities to
produce urethane castings. To fabricate the patterns for the large rubber
moulds, it once again relied on the Somos 9100 series resins.
Patterns for rubber moulding require a blend of properties, including
excellent surface finish, tight dimensional accuracy and durability. According
to Vincek, "Patterns for rubber moulds, especially those as large
as the grille and facia, must be rigid enough to withstand the weight
and force of the rubber as it is being poured, yet durable enough to be
extracted from the cured rubber."
The Somos 9100 series resin's combination of strength, durability and
flexibility gave Auburn Engineering exactly what it needed.
The quality of the prototypes and of Auburn Engineering's work enabled
the company to win the order for production tooling and moulding on several
under-bonnet components. According to William Carver, executive vice president
of Auburn Engineering,
"It was a natural progression in the development cycle. Using our
high-speed tooling and moulding concept, we were able to move right into
the production phase, which continued our role in saving a significant
amount of time and money for the SSR programme."
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