Daihatsu Collaborates to offer Car Design Customization

Daihatsu Motor Co. has started to deliver mass-customized end-use parts through partnerships with Stratasys and local designers.

Based in Ikeda, Osaka, Japan, Daihatsu partnered with 3D printing solutions company Stratasys, Kota Nezu from industrial design company Znug Design, Inc. and 3D creator Sun Junjie to turn the vision into reality. Designers created 15 Effect Skins – intricate geometric and organic patterns in 10 different colors that are 3D printed using Stratasys Fortus 3D printers. Customers can adjust the parameters of the designs themselves, exponentially increasing the numbers of options and allowing one-off customization for each consumer, a press release states.

These skins may be ordered for front and rear bumpers and fenders. They are printed on Fortus Production 3D printers with an ASA termoplastic for durability, aesthetic and UV resistance.

“This project would not have been possible with traditional manufacturing or tooling methods,” explains Mr. Kota Nezu, Znug Design.

For more information, visit Daihatsu Motor Co.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.