Replique and CALLUM Collaborate for 3D Printed Trophies

The recent World Car Awards (WCA) ceremony, held in April 2023 in New York, caught attention of the global automotive community, but another highlight of the event was 3D printed trophy presented to the category winners.

The seven trophies were produced via Replique and created by the design and engineering company, CALLUM, led by legendary car designer, Ian Callum. The two companies were selected and commissioned by the WCA organizers, with a brief to design and manufacture a new and visually impactful trophy that would befit the awards and respective winners.

Replique, which provides a fully encrypted 3D printing platform that offers original equipment manufacturers a secure, sustainable means of providing parts on demand, produced the trophies in PA12 material through its network of print partners by using selective laser sintering technology.

Once 3D printed, the trophies underwent a post-processing stage before being delivered to New York for the awards ceremony. Among the procedures applied was the vapor smoothing technique, which a seamless surface for the application of gold automotive-grade coatings, designed to enhancing aesthetic appeal.

Hyundai was one of the winners, who had three wins for its IONIQ 6. These included “World Car of the Year,” with the company’s global chief operating officer (COO) on-hand to receive the 3D printed awards.

“Thanks to its fundamental attributes for fast, low-volume production of any design in one-piece, regardless of its complexity, 3D printing was an obvious choice as the manufacturing method for this project,” says Henrike Wonneberger, co-founder and COO of Replique.

According to Ian Callum, known for his automotive designs, the concept behind the new trophy reimagines the theme of the WCA logo and the original award, with a road encircling the globe in a modern yet emotive style depicting movement. As the automotive industry adopts additive manufacturing, WCA has chosen to embrace this technology for the first time in the creation of the new trophy. By leveraging 3D printing, the construction of the new trophy also represents the many technological advances made in vehicle design and manufacturing.

“3D printing is fantastic because it addresses and overcomes the constraints of traditional thinking and manufacturing,” explains Callum.

“When you design something, you need to consider factors like the angles, the construction method and if it will need assembly of different parts—all of which is very complicated and time-consuming. This project demonstrates perfectly how 3D printing completely removes that headache, by granting you the means to create virtually any form from a digitalized design,” Callum adds.

“On behalf of Replique, I’d like to extend our warmest congratulations to all esteemed winners of the 2023 World Car Awards. It was a thrilling moment to see the winners’ faces light up with joy at the sight of their cutting-edge, 3D-printed trophies, which also capture the essence of the occasion so perfectly. We look forward to contributing to many more such moments,” Wonneberger concludes.

The full categories and winners for the 2023 World Car Awards were: World Car of the Year: Hyundai IONIQ 6; World Luxury Car: Lucid Air; World Performance Car: Kia EV6 GT; World Electric Vehicle: Hyundai IONIQ 6; World Urban Car: Citroën C3; World Car Design of the Year: Hyundai IONIQ 6; World Car Person of the Year: SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design Center, Hyundai Motor Company.

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