European project uses precision engineering

An innovative precision engineering prototype for vehicle body panels has been developed within the remit of the European PROFORM research project, it has been revealed.

At a company installation in the Bizkaia Technology Park, Tecnalia Technology Corporation has inaugurated the hardware, which aims to develop a new manufacturing concept for car body parts based on variable profiling together with forming operations, laser cutting and electro-magnetic forming.

It is hoped that this approach will help companies to reduce the timings and cost associated with manufacture.

Stamping is used to develop most parts, allowing for a "great variety of shapes", though high costs give it obvious disadvantages, both in terms of tools and investment as well as low flexibility.

The lower cost associated with the new profiling technology and its installations make PROFORM's development a more efficient option for the manufacture of parts, though its introduction to the industry has been slowed by "the limitation of the geometrics that can be obtained", its creators added.

Today, the Daily Telegraph highlighted the great work of British engineers in the car manufacturing industry and noted how many other countries and companies were flocking to the nation to use new precision engineering techniques from the UK.