The car manufacturer uses BCN3D's 3D FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) technology to produce tools, jigs and fixtures for its production line in Spain. So far, 700 parts have been created, some of which cost just 3.45 euros to produce.

In-house thanks to 3D printing

Previously, Nissan outsourced all prototypes and fixtures to mechanical suppliers using traditional manufacturing methods such as CNC and drilling. Although the quality of the finished product was good, lead times were long and inflexible and costs were high. Even simple tools could cost up to 400 euros to machine. By printing some of these parts in-house using 3D printers, Nissan was able to reduce the time to design, refine and produce parts from a week to just one day, cutting costs by 95 percent.

Additive manufacturing laboratory

Nissan's additive manufacturing lab is equipped with a farm of four BCN3D printers, which have proven to be reliable and can run around the clock to meet Nissan's intensive production schedule. The printers are equipped with an Independent Dual Extrusion (IDEX) system, which means that Nissan can print two identical components simultaneously, significantly doubling productivity.

Nissan also uses the recently launched BCN3D Smart Cabinet - a new solution designed to preserve filament printability, extend its shelf life, reduce aesthetic defects and avoid costly reprints.

24-hour deployment

Carlos Rellán Martínez, Manager of Maintenance & Engineering Facilities at Nissan Motor Ibérica Zona Franca, Barcelona, says: "The performance achieved in terms of reliability is outstanding. Our printer runs almost 24 hours a day and we print around 100 different fixtures and tools every year for specific use in our processes.

"Outsourcing tools to a mechanical supplier was 20 times more expensive than 3D printing the same parts, while the waiting time for tools dropped from a week to a day. By introducing 3D printing, we have increased added value and generated low costs without high delivery times. We have amortized the investment in the printers very quickly."

Eric Pallarés, Chief Technical Officer at BCN3D, adds: "The automotive industry is probably the best example of scaling a complex product to meet the highest quality standards. It's fascinating to see how the assembly process of a car - where many individual parts are put together on an assembly line - relies on FFF-printed parts at virtually every stage. After assembling thousands of cars, Nissan has found that using BCN3D 3D printing technology to produce fixtures for complex assembly operations enables consistently high quality parts in less time and at a lower cost."