New spare parts for classic cars

Classic cars are a matter of the heart and often a financial investment. If the engine breaks down, the driving pleasure is gone and so is the financial value. Retro-Design 3D GmbH specializes in the design, manufacture and reproduction of spare parts for historic vehicles and classic cars. An important partner is the BENSELER subsidiary 3D Laser BW: The specialists from Kirchheim unter Teck finish the surfaces of original components such as cylinder heads, crankshaft housings and oil pumps using CNC post-processing.

The special thing about historic and classic cars is both a blessing and a curse: their age. What makes them fascinating becomes a problem when key components fail and need to be replaced: In most cases, they no longer exist. If engine parts are also affected, the car stays in the garage - sports cars costing millions are practically worthless. When a new engine is installed, it should look like the original. Retro-Design 3D GmbH takes care of that. The company specializes in spare parts for historic vehicles and classic cars that are rare or no longer available, including spare parts for Porsche brand vehicles such as the Porsche 356 Carrera or Porsche 550 Spyder, as well as the Porsche 718 or Porsche 904. The raw parts designed and manufactured by Retro-Design 3D, such as cylinder heads, crankshaft housings or oil pumps, are sent to the production facility of 3D Laser BW in Kirchheim unter Teck, a subsidiary of the BENSELER Group. There, the raw parts are machined into usable components or milled from solid material.
 
High-precision roughing and milling from solid stock
Rough machining is the process of machining the part after the initial production process (casting) to smooth the surface, correct dimensions, or add features. Machining is used to achieve the desired properties of the part and improve the final quality. Milling from solid is the process of milling a part from a solid block. This is done in a series of steps in which the cutter gradually removes material to achieve the desired shape. This process is often used to quickly produce complex and precise parts.

3D Laser BW is able to produce raw parts on its AM machines and then machine them on a 5-axis milling machine up to a size of 850 x 750 x 550 mm. Upstream and downstream processes are also part of the daily business. Retro Design 3D then delivers the finished engine parts to its customers, who install them in their valuable classic cars. "We support our customers in the development of their components, whether it is a cast part from the customer or a 3D printed part from our company. This enables us to ensure that downstream processes such as 5-axis machining, hardening and coating achieve optimum results and run smoothly," explains Oliver Wagner, Managing Director of 3D Laser BW.