The concept car design process from the drawing board to the clay model to CAD files

Applications: Product Development and Design
Industries: Automotive/Transportation

Challenge: Measuring a clay model and ensuring accurate data acquisition for CAD files

The first steps for designing a car are done on a drawing board. Then, the artist continues his work by realizing a clay model that he will refine in some places and improve in others in order, finally, to obtain the perfect design. How, however, is a car built from this clay model? How does one move from the artistic illustration to the engineering model?

generating a CAD from an automotive clay model

Solution: Clean STL files ready to be imported into CAD software

A 3D scanning solution is essential for measuring a clay model and for acquiring surface data, providing highly accurate results that are transferred into CAD files. From there, engineers can start building each part according to the model designed by the artist. The 3D scanner provides a clean STL file ready to be imported into CAD software. The measuring tool also gives the level of details needed to capture the lines of style that the artist highlighted on the clay model.

Benefit: Faster 3D scan-to-CAD for higher productivity and accuracy

With 3D scanning, the path between the clay model and the CAD files is faster because the measurement and generation of accurate results are accelerated. In addition, the data transfer and editing are simplified. Moreover, both design and engineering teams can use the 3D scanning tool to ensure seamless communication with each other throughout the entire process, streamlining productivity and eliminating costly errors.

Phiaro Corporation

Phiaro’s Corporate Officer and General Manager of its Design Development Division, Kengo Sakata, mentions that the top benefits of using Creaform's 3D scanners are productivity and accuracy. Indeed, because the Creaform solutions are easy and simple to use, they can be used by almost anyone with minimal training. Even non-specialized teams can help out with measurements and data acquisition during work peaks. Moreover, set up requires little time, and scanning can be performed very quickly—all while generating highly accurate results and simplifying post data acquisition editing. Sakata-san also notes that, in many cases, measurement times have been cut in half.