"3D printing allowed us to quickly produce a high-quality part that can serve as a functional part. We are also testing interest in potential production. Given the nature of the work, prototype iterations would not be possible in traditional manufacturing.” - Home of Tucci, Tucci Hot Rods
3D printing has enabled Tucci Hot Rods to produce custom car parts to modify and create a custom vehicle for their customers - to extremely high design standards and in much less time than previously possible.
Tucci Hot Rods - Getting to know the company
Founded in 1997, Tucci Hot Rods, Marcy, New York, has been manufacturing custom, specialty vehicles for over 20 years. Combining their strong reputation for courage and creativity with impressive technical knowledge of sheet metal fabrication and custom auto parts production has allowed Tucci Hot Rods to develop from a dedicated workshop to a world-renowned movement. Car modification is complex. It involves so many changes that it's rare to find a pre-made, off-the-shelf component that fits seamlessly with the rest of the design while still meeting the company's high quality standards. Creating the perfect custom part takes time and can be prohibitively expensive, especially if traditional CNC machining techniques are used. These limitations inhibit creativity and reduce the quality of the final product.
Challenge
Making custom car designs fast and easy. "Parts off the shelf" rarely fit the needs, fit is difficult, and high quality is necessary to produce a suitable end product.
The solution
Using 3D printers to develop functional prototypes and final parts as well as to test multiple design concepts measured in hours and at minimal cost.
Results
- Ability to build and test multiple different design prototype solutions
- Cost-effective production of custom auto parts
- Increased productivity and speed
Challenge
Before 3D printing, Tucci Hot Rods made custom aluminum and plastic parts using laser cutting and CNC machines, or built them by hand. Both processes are expensive and time consuming. Also, there is no way to ensure a 100% perfect fit of a new part and fulfill its purpose. The development of a certain auto part can start from scratch and result in wasted time and money.
The solution
3D printing has allowed Tucci to speed up and refine the entire manufacturing process, from design to testing, through manufacturing to finishing. Staff move seamlessly between design and testing, using a 3D printer to create prototype parts. After that, they produce a refined final part which is then sanded, painted and installed. Later in the process, the team uses their 3D printer to produce detailed paint templates, masks, covers and paint guards, which help achieve the car's final look.
Results
With 3D printing, the Tucci team works three times more efficiently, and in their business, time is money. Tenfold savings were achieved by producing test parts during design development, which in turn encouraged greater creativity and raised the standard of production. Their Ultimaker 3D printer also reduced waste, lowered the cost of manufacturing a new custom part, and opened up opportunities for the company to expand into mass production of patterns and products.
Costs
In the modified car business, costs depend on many factors. From the design and manufacture of custom parts, which can require different combinations of raw materials and time, to the labor required to install and complete that part, these are all variables in this equation that complicate the calculation. The company estimates they save up to $500 per manufactured part by using the 3D printing method instead of buying a machine-made part. You can see the estimated production costs of the hood air vents for the Ford Fiesta modification project in the table.
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Traditional production of works
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Copy production
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Production with an Ultimaker 3D printer
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| Iterations [pc/part]
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1
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1
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10
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Costs [$/part] (Includes: start-up costs, materials)
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$3,000
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$500
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$15-$17
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| Delivery time [h/part]
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40
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672
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12-24
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Finishing* [h/part] (sanding, painting, finishing, processing, installation)
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5-8
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4-7
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6-9
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* Finishing is a very important part of production because the part is used directly on the car
