Nexen Tire Hub - The prototype development cycle for high-performance hubs has been shortened by 70%.

Customer Profile: The innovative DNA of an industry giant

Nexen Tire USA (Nexen Tire of the United States) is one of the top ten tire manufacturers globally - the core North American branch of Korean Nexen Tire.

Renowned for its high-performance tires, SUV tires and leading tire pressure retention technology, it is the original equipment supplier for many well-known car brands. Nexen has always been committed to technological innovation, and its research and development center is dedicated to exploring the most cutting-edge design and engineering solutions to maintain its leading position in the fiercely competitive market.

Industry pain point: The "speed constraint" of traditional prototyping manufacturing

In the development of tire wheel hubs, prototype manufacturing is a crucial step for verifying the design, conducting wind resistance, weight and structural tests. However, traditional methods have significant limitations:

High time cost: Outsourcing CNC metal forging or mold making is complex and takes up to 4–6 weeks.

Limited design iteration: The high cost and time prevent engineers from easily trying multiple, bold innovative designs, thus stifling creativity.

High communication cost: Frequent communication with external suppliers poses risks to data security and confidentiality.

Solution: A technological leap in one-stop rapid prototyping

In the face of challenges, the American R&D Center of Nexans decided to introduce internal rapid prototyping capabilities. They ultimately chose the industrial-grade large-sized 3D printer D600 Pro2 HS from CreatBot, as it perfectly met their requirements.

Large-scale integrated molding: A molding volume of 600×600×600mm is sufficient to print the prototypes of most car and SUV wheel hubs at one time. There is no need for segmented assembly, ensuring structural integrity.

High speed and high precision coexist: The high-speed version (HS) is equipped with a high-temperature nozzle, which can print high-strength engineering materials (such as PA-CF nylon carbon fiber) at a speed of 250mm/s and with stability. The detail expression is astonishing.

Industrial-grade reliability: The all-metal body and the closed-temperature chamber ensure the success rate of continuous printing tasks for several days, far exceeding that of ordinary desktop-level equipment.

Implementation process: Seamless transition from digital model to physical prototype

1. Design verification: The engineers directly imported the three-dimensional model of the brand-new lightweight hollow hub into the slicing software developed by CreatBot.

2. Material selection: PA-CF (nylon carbon fiber) material was chosen, which has high strength, light weight, and good heat resistance, sufficient to meet the functional testing requirements of the final metal product.

3. One-click printing: Printing began on the D600 Pro2 HS equipment. In just 58 hours, a 22-inch-diameter, complex-structured integrated hub prototype was completed.

4. Post-processing: After simple support removal and surface polishing, the prototype was immediately sent to the design team for assembly and evaluation.

Outstanding achievement: A exponential increase in research and development efficiency

After introducing the CreatBot solution, Nexsen achieved revolutionary results:

Time compression: The time for a single prototype manufacturing was reduced from an average of 35 days to less than 3 days, with an efficiency increase of over 70%.

Cost control: The cost of a single prototype was reduced by approximately 65%, making it possible to conduct 5–6 design iterations within a project cycle, greatly stimulating the potential for innovation.

Outstanding quality: The printed prototypes were lightweight and highly strong, successfully passing preliminary vehicle fitting, aerodynamic analysis, and static load tests, providing a highly reliable physical basis for the final decision.

Customer Testimonial: Praise from the Chief Engineer

David Chen, the chief engineer of the Nikex US R&D Center, commented:

“This is truly a revolution. Previously, when we saw a brilliant design, the first thing we would consider was ‘How difficult is it to manufacture it?’. Now that thought has completely vanished. The CreatBot D600 Pro2 HS is like our R&D department’s time machine, allowing us to outpace our ideas.

Its printing quality and reliability far exceed our expectations for a 3D printer. It is a truly industrial-grade production equipment. The most crucial aspect is that it liberates us from long waiting periods, granting the team unprecedented agility and creativity.

This is one of the most wise investments we have made in recent years.”