The Challenge
Founded in 2018, time to market is of the essence for Locomation. Entering an already heated and well-funded race for autonomous trucking means Locomation’s team of engineers and software developers have to rapidly, and affordably, iterate and test their designs in real-world situations.
Only needing 4-6 sensor housings manufactured at a time, and measuring over 2ft in the Z-direction, injection molding will run $50,000-$100,000 and months per iteration. In addition, the sensor housings need to be high-strength, impact resistant, UV resistant, and able to withstand the heat of summer on the road.
Knowing the project and material constraints, the Locomation team found that the AON M2+ High Temperature 3D Printer, which met their size and material processing requirements. Locomation’s engineers eventually opted to split their models to minimize supports and post processing. With minimal sanding and automotive filler primer, parts were ready for paint in days, not months.