PUNCH Torino Enhances Efficiency in Camshaft Locking Tool Design and Manufacturing with Markforged’s Simulation Software

Conference Abstract: Markforged, the company strengthening manufacturing resiliency by enabling industrial production at the point of need, and PUNCH Torino, a leading European R&D facility for internal combustion engines, present new approach that challenges traditional norms in camshaft locking tool design and manufacturing, powered by Markforged's Simulation software.
Camshaft locking tools are mission-critical in the meticulous assembly of engines, ensuring impeccable timing synchronization and guarding against potential damage. PUNCH Torino boldly took on this challenge by crafting camshaft locking tools from Onyx with continuous carbon fiber reinforcement, leveraging Markforged's technology.

Before Simulation, engineers faced prolonged and uncertain design iterations, resulting in delays and multiple prototypes. However, Simulation transformed their approach. The average number of design iterations dropped from eight to just three, often requiring only one.

Engineers also encountered frequent tool breakages that disrupted engine assembly, with each tool taking 18 hours to print, leading to cumbersome trial-and-error iterations featuring several designs. Traditional design guidelines offered vague insights rather than a clear path forward.

Simulation empowered PUNCH Torino to set precise project requirements within the software, defining stiffness targets, allowable deflections, and safety factors. It enabled pinpointing critical areas in the locking tool design, vastly reducing the need for extensive trial-and-error iterations. The average number of required prototypes for each tool plummeted from eight to one, and project development timelines decreased from 3-4 weeks to just one week. Material costs per locking tool were reduced from €1,400 to €200.

PUNCH Torino's collaboration with Markforged demonstrates how software can redefine tool design, bringing financial benefits, efficient resource utilization, and practical applications. In a world with economic challenges, automakers prioritize ROI and cost savings while aiming for innovation. Markforged's Simulation plays a pivotal role, enabling these goals without the need for extensive resource expansion.