From July 7 to 10, 2021, XTOP3D—a provider of 3D optical measurement solutions—exhibited at the 16th Shanghai International Automotive Manufacturing Technology & Equipment and Materials Exhibition (AMTS 2021) at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. The company showcased products and technical applications covering various stages of automotive material processing and assembly. These solutions help enterprises in the sectors of automotive materials, structural assembly, and automated manufacturing equipment improve production quality, while also driving the development of the domestic high-end automotive manufacturing equipment and new materials industries.
This major industry event offers a comprehensive showcase of innovative technologies and applications across the automotive engineering spectrum—spanning body, component, powertrain, and new energy vehicle engineering, as well as vehicle design and development. It highlights advancements in areas such as design and R&D, stamping, welding and joining, painting, final assembly, component manufacturing and assembly, and end-to-end manufacturing quality management systems.
Empowering the Full Spectrum of Future Automotive Manufacturing
In recent years, import substitution within the domestic automotive assembly sector has emerged as a strategic pathway for industrial transformation and upgrading. This shift has fostered the rise of new automotive manufacturing and assembly enterprises, while simultaneously intensifying industry competition. Automotive manufacturers are striving to enhance equipment compatibility and reliability, seeking to boost core competitiveness through improved cost-efficiency; consequently, they are demanding higher standards for automotive production technologies.
XTOP3D’s industry applications and solutions cover every core stage of automotive manufacturing—ranging from material and dynamic simulation analysis for new models, high-precision trend analysis and quality control in mold processing, to dimensional inspection of components and batch inspection of automotive piping. By doing so, XTOP3D empowers clients to achieve high-efficiency, high-quality production for the future of automotive manufacturing, enabling them to derive value across the entire value chain.
Automotive Materials and Simulation
Energy conservation and emission reduction are key themes in the automotive industry, with lightweighting serving as one of the most effective measures to achieve these goals. Due to specific technical requirements, new energy vehicles (NEVs) inevitably experience weight increases compared to traditional vehicles, making the need for lightweighting even more urgent; the adoption of advanced materials represents the most direct and effective approach to this challenge.
The XTOP3D XTDIC 3D optical full-field strain measurement system enables the characterization of the mechanical properties of new automotive materials. By analyzing the service conditions and failure modes of mechanical components, the system helps identify the causes and patterns of failure and establish appropriate performance metrics, which are then verified through testing. Such mechanical performance testing can be implemented at any stage of production to validate product durability, stability, and safety, thereby securing a competitive advantage.
Automotive Styling Development and Design
With the advent of the intelligent era, the traditional functional attributes of automobiles are receding, while their spatial and social dimensions are becoming increasingly prominent. Against this backdrop, a key focus for automotive designers is how to infuse a vehicle with vitality through a holistic design approach that integrates visual aesthetics, interaction, and user experience.
Moreover, automotive styling development and design is a highly complex process. XTOP3D optical measurement technology is applied across the entire workflow—from initial design sketches and clay modeling to structural adjustments, assembly and calibration, quality inspection, and finally, mass production. It rapidly translates abstract, sensory design concepts into concrete product specifications, resulting in automotive designs that offer a more human-centric and aesthetically compelling experience.
Dimensional Inspection of Automotive Components
As China's automotive industry continues to evolve, requirements regarding vehicle styling, assembly, and performance are rising, leading to increasingly stringent controls over the critical dimensions of automotive components. These components are characterized by high-volume production, demanding dimensional accuracy, and complex geometries. Categorized by material and manufacturing process, they include injection-molded parts, stamped parts, and forged or cast components. Consequently, inspection practices have shifted from checking just one or two critical dimensions to comprehensive full-dimensional verification.
XTOP3D optical measurement solutions support a wide range of applications: characterizing automotive injection-molded materials; testing sheet metal forming limits and load-bearing performance; enabling continuous process control and trend analysis during mass production; ensuring stable quality and rapid acquisition of high-quality sheet metal parts for assembly through sheet metal stamping and quality control; and inspecting forged automotive components to guarantee the structural precision of powertrain parts, thereby enhancing overall vehicle safety and reliability.
Testing of the "Three Electric Systems" in New Energy Vehicles
The core technological distinction between new energy vehicles (NEVs) and traditional internal combustion engine vehicles lies in the "three electric systems": the battery, the electric motor, and the electronic control system. Recent months have seen a series of spontaneous combustion incidents involving electric vehicles, thrusting the issue of battery safety into the spotlight.
XTOP3D optical measurement solutions can be applied to mechanical property testing of new energy materials; battery pack puncture, collision, and impact tests; thermal deformation analysis; and dimensional inspection of battery and electric drive housings. These applications effectively enhance the quality, performance, and stability of battery products.
Inspection of Automotive System Piping
Automotive systems feature complex piping networks, the performance of which directly impacts vehicle stability and safety—consider the severe consequences of a fluid leak. Achieving high-standard quality control for these piping components has long been a challenge for the automotive piping manufacturing industry.
XTOP3D’s independently developed "Tube Qualify" 3D optical tube measurement system is specifically designed for measuring complex piping. Utilizing high-frame-rate, high-resolution industrial cameras, it rapidly reconstructs 3D models of the tubes. The system supports applications such as batch online inspection, reverse engineering, equipment commissioning and calibration, and manufacturing guidance, thereby ensuring high-quality tube production.
Deformation Analysis of Automotive Components
Automotive components form the structural foundation and support of a vehicle and are crucial for ensuring its stable operation. A vehicle comprises thousands of components; the load-bearing characteristics, in-service performance, and lifespan of each component directly impact the vehicle's overall safety and performance.
The XTOP3D XTDIC 3D dynamic deformation measurement system measures the dynamic deformation of components under operating conditions. It evaluates the effects of torsion, bending, displacement, and acceleration experienced during service, and analyzes factors such as safety risks, lifespan, aging, and changes in appearance. This enables the optimization of component performance and enhances product competitiveness.
As a premier industry event covering automotive materials and design, manufacturing processes and equipment, quality control and assembly, as well as engineering and services, AMTS 2021 showcased comprehensive system integration solutions for the automotive engineering sector from a global perspective. XTOP3D is dedicated to integrating software, algorithms, and hardware for 3D optical measurement instruments; by fostering collaboration between humans and industrial vision systems, the company helps enterprises improve production quality, reduce costs and waste, and enhance the overall competitiveness of the automotive industry, working hand-in-hand to drive innovation across the entire automotive supply chain.
