MakerBot, a global leader in 3D printing and subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd., announced that leading automotive and lifestyle product design and engineering firm, Callum, has installed a Method X™ 3D printer to produce functional prototypes, tooling, and production parts across a number of luxury vehicles and lifestyle brands, including the limited edition Aston Martin Callum Vanquish 25 by R-Reforged.
Callum was founded in 2019 by renowned automotive designer Ian Callum CBE, who is responsible for some of the industry’s most recognizable and iconic car designs, including the original Aston Martin Vanquish, the Ford Puma, and 2019’s ‘World Car of the Year award winner’, the Jaguar I-PACE. True to Callum’s personal philosophy of taking inspiration from nature, art and music, the company’s mission is to design bespoke and limited-edition high-end automotive, travel and lifestyle products that combine cutting-edge design with real-world functionality. To achieve this, Callum has embraced a blend of the latest production techniques alongside traditional craftsmanship, including creating its own leather trim shop, which is housed in its 2,800 square metre Warwick-based facility in the UK.
From the onset, the company has been using additive manufacturing to reproduce design concepts into tactile and representative models for internal review and proof of concept. With the advanced capabilities offered by Method X, it is now looking to extend its application use of the technology into three key new areas. This includes fully functional prototypes for rigorous testing and simulation; tooling for limited edition componentry and gauges; and customizable, low volume production parts for final use in the vehicles and other design projects it is working on.
Adam Donfrancesco, Technical Director, Callum, commented: “The Callum engineering team has craved more additive manufacturing capabilities as the first projects enter production and Method X will be swiftly enrolled to support this. Having put the 3D printer through its paces, the level of part accuracy and the diversity of engineering-grade materials available is second to none versus other industrial desktop printers we’ve tested. Not only does this technology enable us to enhance our prototyping capabilities for true functional testing, but we can now also optimize the production of tools and end-use parts where 3D printing previously fell short in terms of strength, surface finish and dimensional accuracy.”
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15 January 2021
