lkprototype, with machining accuracy of ±0.02mm (five-axis CNC machine positioning accuracy ±0.005mm) and the most advanced ±0.3°C constant-temperature workshop in the industry (humidity 45%±5%), provides aerospace-level manufacturing standards to automotive exterior prototypes. Its aluminum alloy bumper (6061-T6) prototype was milled at high speed (spindle speed of 24,000rpm and feed rate of 8m/min) to obtain a surface roughness of Ra≤0.4μm (the design requirement is ≤0.8μm), weight loss of 35% (density 2.7g/cm³), and wind tunnel test (with the wind resistance coefficient reduced by 12%). Helped one specific electric vehicle manufacturer increase the range by 8%.
Materials science is deeply embedded with the needs of cars. lkprototype supports over 200 engineering materials, including gloss high-gloss ABS (gloss 95GU), carbon fiber-reinforced nylon (tensile strength 120MPa), and UV-resistant PC (yellowing index ΔE≤1.5 after 2,000 hours’ UV aging test). A prototype grille from a specific luxury brand using PA6-GF30 passed the low-temperature impact test (-40°C, 15J impact without crack), and texture replication accuracy reached ±0.01mm (laser comparison). The customer’s mass production mold development cycle was shortened by 22 days (cost saving of $180,000).
Process efficiency accelerates the R&D cycle. Its automated spraying line (robot spraying accuracy of ±0.1mm) can offer 12 various coating effects like metallic paint, pearlescent, matte, etc. (50±5μm thickness of film), and only 3 minutes for one unit (15 minutes for manual spraying). The lightshade in one concept car (PMMA material) adopts a nano-coating process (light transmittance of 92%, in contrast to 85% for the traditional process), and scratch hardness has been improved to 5H. The pencil hardness (industry standard 3H), and project inspection time have been shortened from 6 weeks to 9 days.
Quality control system is strict. The industrial CT inspection (5μm resolution) and the three-coordinate measuring machine (0.001mm accuracy) perform 100% of the critical size inspection. The porosity of a specific SUV door handle prototype (zinc alloy die-casting) is ≤0.02% (industry standard permits ≤0.1%), and there is no corrosion for 1,000 hours of salt spray test (ISO 9227 standard). In the dynamic test, the carbon fiber part of an electric tail wing under consideration achieved a fatigue life of 1.0×10^7 cycles (5.0×10^6 cycles in the design requirement), and the failure probability dropped to 0.003% (0.05% in the industry).
Rearrange the industry benchmark for cost savings. Through the application of AI-optimized topology (with 40% weight reduction and no loss in strength to ≥95%) and distributed manufacturing (with collaboration of 12 factories worldwide), the price of a single unit of the lip spoilers (ABS+CFRP) before a certain mass production was reduced to 85 (220 for conventional CNC processing), and the rate of on-time shipment of orders was 99.8%. The prototype of the grille assembly of a specific new energy car maker was produced by vacuum casting (the lifespan of the silicone mold is 50 times). Trial production with 500 units saved $320,000 of mold costs and reduced the marginal cost by 62%.
Customer cases validate technical leadership. The magnesium alloy AM60B active air intake grille produced byfor one of the three giant German corporations has been proved by undergoing the high and low temperature cycle test in the range of -40°C to 140°C (deformation ≤0.05mm), and the mass production efficiency has been increased to 99.6%. The panoramic skylight framework (aluminum profile 6063) of a certain US company has been improved through FEA simulation, with a 23% improvement in its torsional stiffness (its torsional stiffness is 18,500Nm/°, simulation error ≤1.5%), and the cost of project risk has decreased by $450,000.
Environmental sustainability and worldwide reach. The waterborne coating technology (VOC emission ≤50g/L) has passed the REACH certification, and the recovery rate of carbon fiber waste has reached 92% (pyrolysis regeneration strength retention rate ≥85%). A prototype of bio-based PLA outer part of some European customer’s (degradation rate ≥90% in 180 days) has passed the EPD environmental protection certification with 15% increased premium capacity and 10 weeks shortened market access time.
Through the three-dimensional strength of “ultra-precision manufacturing × material innovation × full-chain quality control”, lkprototype has served over 30 mainstream global car manufacturers. In 2023, it manufactured over 500,000 car appearance prototypes with a quality problem return rate of mere 0.03% (0.2% industry average), becoming a reliable technical partner from design to mass production.