Customer: Restorer of classic vehicles
Industry: Automotive - spare parts
Technology: innovatiQ TiQ 2 Plus - industrial 3D printer
Material: PA-CF (carbon fiber reinforced polyamide)

Introduction/Challenge

A restorer of classic vehicles is constantly faced with the challenge of procuring spare parts for classic American cars that are no longer available on the market. In this example, the accelerator pedal bracket of a 1970s model had broken due to material fatigue. Without this component, the vehicle was no longer drivable and it was impossible to source the part through the spare parts channel as it had not been produced for decades.

The damaged bracket was first captured using a 3D scan and digitally reconstructed in the CAD system. In doing so, the restorer took the opportunity to identify weak points in the original part and reinforce them in a targeted manner.
Using the innovatiQ TiQ 2 PLUS and the FDM process, a precisely fitting, high-strength bracket was then printed from engineering plastic.

Within just a few hours, a functional and resilient replacement part was created that reliably fixes the accelerator pedal in place and safely transfers the forces that occur when the pedal is pressed. Thanks to additive manufacturing, the vehicle was quickly made ready to drive again - without long delivery times or expensive custom-made products.

• Fast availability: spare part produced within a very short time
• Cost efficiency: no costly toolmaking or external custom production required
• Improved quality: CAD optimization has even increased stability compared to the original
• Preservation of cultural assets: the classic car could be restored true to the original and still be driven on the road
  
  

Conclusion
The use of industrial 3D printing with the innovatiQ TiQ 2 Plus and PA-CF revolutionized the procurement of a spare part for a classic car that was no longer available. Thanks to 3D scanning and digital reconstruction, it was possible to produce a precisely fitting and improved component that was available in just a few hours. This approach not only saved the high costs and long waiting times for a conventional custom-made part, but also made it possible to preserve the classic vehicle.

Print example: Accelerator pedal bracket

Printer: innovatiQ TiQ 2 Plus

Material: PA-CF