The Japanese car company Daihatsu is giving customers a unique, personalized driving experience. Designers Kota Nezu and Junjie Sun used the Daihatsu Copen Roadster, a car that was totally redesigned and re-introduced to the market in 2014, as their base to introduce customized elements such as Stratasys 3D printed decorative frames in their “Effect Skins” project.

Effect Skins

Stratasys Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing technology is a key part of the process for the unique Effect Skins that appear on the bumpers and emblem of the Daihatsu Copen car Using the Fortus 450mc 3D Production System from Stratasys, 12 types of “Effect Skin” parts were designed by Designer/3D Creator Junjie Sun with 10-color variations produced with high UV stability ASA thermoplastic material. The car is featured at the 2015 Design Engineering & Manufacturing Solutions Expo (DMS), the largest IT solutions expo for the manufacturing industry in Japan, attracting more than 80,000 visitors annually. It takes place at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center (Tokyo Big Sight), June 24 – 26.

Stratasys 3D printing

Unique design elements on the front bumper and emblem of this
Daihatsu Copen were created with Stratasys 3D printing.

“The creativity of DRESS-FOMATION, which aims at enabling you to express yourself in the car’s design, is limitless. Effect Skin is the right tool for expressing it with 3D printing technology together with the creative designs and concepts we have been receiving. With this single project, we are combining automotive car, manufacturing and 3D printing to bring a new personalized automotive experience to our customers,” said Osamu Fujishita, Chief Engineer, Daihatsu.

Stratasys booth at the 2015 DMS

Visitors to the Stratasys booth at the 2015 DMS in Tokyo can try their hand at designing a unique decorative element for the Daihatsu Copen.

The Copen is an integral part of the Stratasys presence at DMS. Sun will deliver a lecture on his use of a Fortus 450mc 3D Production System in the creation of the Copen’s 3D printed design elements. Also in attendance is Jason Lopes, Lead Systems Engineer of Legacy Effects, a Hollywood special effects studio and a long-term Stratasys proponent. Lopes will lead a session at DMS about the use of solutions to cater for the requirements of different industries, and companies in different sizes,” said Hiroaki Katayama, President and CEO of Stratasys Japan. “Our professional line of 3D printing systems enables manufacturers to perform large-scale production jobs more efficiently while maintaining high production standards. Meanwhile, the desktop series, inclusive of MakerBot, will continue to inspire creative thinking and empower individuals to unleash creativity.”