This article provides an overview of some of the technologies used for rp and low volume production of sheet metal.
Ford rapid prototyping sheet metal.
Sadly stamping can take up to 6 8 weeks from the time the design leaves the cad station so it s not great for prototyping.
Can do sheet metal stampings in hours instead of weeks.
Ford engineers are developing a highly flexible first of its kind patented technology to rapidly form sheet metal parts for low volume production applicati.
See how ford does it with this short video video.
Ford calls this ford freeform fabrication technology f3t.
We would like to show you a description here but the site won t allow us.
Rapid prototyping for sheet metal parts posted in the technical forum.
Allowing them to fabricate a three dimensional part from a two dimensional sheet of metal in just hours.
Over the last 100 years or so the ford motor company has gotten really good at stamping sheet metal parts.