Octopus New Energy: Accelerating Heat Pump Production with CreatBot 3D Printing

CreatBot empowers green energy innovation

Abstract

This white paper provides a detailed analysis of how Octopus, a global leader in new energy, successfully introduced the CreatBot D600 Pro 2 series industrial grade large format 3D printers to revolutionise the R&D and production processes of heat pump products.

To meet growing market demands, Octopus leveraged the D600 Pro 2 series printers for outstanding advantages in cost control, material diversity, print strength, and post processing compatibility. This enabled rapid and cost effective manufacturing of large functional test components, tooling fixtures, and end use parts, significantly shortening product time to market.

The solution also provides agile and reliable manufacturing capabilities for large scale deployment of heat pumps in charging infrastructure.

R&D Challenges in Industry Change

With the explosive growth of the global electric vehicle industry, the supporting charging infrastructure network is rapidly expanding. Heat pump systems, crucial components for maintaining normal operation of charging station internal parts under extreme temperatures, have seen surging demand.

As an innovator in this field, Octopus New Energy faces the following critical challenges:

• Rapid iteration needs: Product designs require continuous optimisation for different environments. Traditional mold manufacturing involves long cycles and high costs, unable to meet the need for fast prototyping and iteration.
• Large part manufacturing: Heat pump housings and internal large functional components exceed the build volume of standard desktop 3D printers, making one piece printing impossible.
• Functionality and durability: Components must possess good mechanical strength, weather resistance, and heat resistance to withstand harsh outdoor conditions.
• Cost control: There is a pressing need to reduce the costs of prototyping and small batch trial production without compromising quality, thereby improving the project’s overall return on investment.

Octopus New Energy's Solution: Adoption of the CreatBot D600 Pro Series Industrial Grade FDM 3D Printers

To overcome these challenges, Octopus New Energy introduced the CreatBot D600 Pro series industrial grade FDM 3D printers into its R&D centre, aiming to establish autonomous, rapid, and flexible in house rapid prototyping capabilities.

Key Reasons for Selecting the D600 Pro Series

• Large format build volume: Capable of producing large EV components or batch printing smaller parts.
• Exceptional printing stability and precision: Ensures prototypes exhibit excellent assembly compatibility and reliability for functional testing.
• Broad compatibility with engineering materials: The D600 Pro series can process a variety of high performance engineering plastics to meet stringent requirements across different scenarios.
• Significant cost efficiency: In house printing reduces the cost per part to a fraction of traditional methods, enabling print on demand flexibility.
• Post processing capabilities: Printed models can undergo post treatment processes such as sanding, painting, electroplating, and vapour smoothing to achieve surface quality and visual effects close to those of final products, meeting the needs of design reviews.

Heat pump mold printing process

Application Implementation: From Design to Quasi Production

Octopus New Energy has deeply integrated the D600 Pro2 series printers into its heat pump product development and manufacturing processes.

Rapid Prototyping & Functional Testing

Engineers use PC material to directly print structural components such as internal brackets and air ducts for heat pumps, conducting rigorous functional and durability tests. Design issues can be identified and modified within days, eliminating the need to wait weeks for traditionally machined parts.

Customised Tooling & Fixtures

Leveraging the wear resistance of PA material, the company prints specialised assembly fixtures and inspection jigs for production lines. This not only shortens tooling preparation time but also enhances production efficiency through lightweight and customised advantages.

Heat pump function test and internal structure display

End Use Part Manufacturing and Post Processing

For small batch production of specific models or during transition periods, Octopus directly utilises the D600 Pro2 to print heat pump housings and non critical structural components.

After printing, the parts undergo post processing techniques such as sanding, sandblasting, and spraying/plating. The resulting surface quality and performance meet end use requirements, achieving a “quasi mass production” application breakthrough. Electroplating further enhances surface quality and performance, enabling a leap in near production application capabilities.

Heat pump near mass production

Results Summary: From Cost Centre to Innovation Engine

By deploying the CreatBot D600 Pro2, Octopus New Energy has achieved remarkable commercial and technological returns:

• 70% reduction in R&D cycle time: The timeline from design to obtainable testable physical parts has been shortened from several weeks to just days, significantly accelerating the pace of product innovation.
• Substantial manufacturing cost reduction: Prototyping and small batch production costs have been reduced by up to 60% compared to traditional mold opening or outsourced CNC machining, saving substantial resources in the early stages of projects.
• Leap in manufacturing flexibility: Without relying on external supply chains, internal teams can quickly respond to design changes and achieve small batch, customised part production, enhancing market competitiveness.
• Promotion of sustainable manufacturing: Additive manufacturing generates far less material waste than subtractive methods, aligning closely with Octopus’s vision as a new energy enterprise.

Actual application scenarios of heat pump installation

Conclusions and Perspectives

The Octopus New Energy case compellingly demonstrates that industrial grade 3D printing technology has evolved beyond being merely a prototyping tool into a core production asset that spans the entire workflow from product development and trial production to end use part manufacturing.

The CreatBot D600 Pro2 series printers, with their robust hardware capabilities, extensive material compatibility, and exceptional cost effectiveness, have successfully empowered industry leaders like Octopus to maintain both agility and innovative strength amid intense market competition.

Looking ahead, CreatBot will continue to deepen its collaboration with Octopus New Energy, exploring further applications such as carbon fibre reinforced composites for higher strength components, jointly advancing the digital transformation of manufacturing paradigms within the new energy sector.