OP/D Products
inverted Corvette Lights
Objective
A client building a corvette contacted us about designing some new taillights for it.
They only wanted to invert the traditional bullet lenses, while making them flush mount.
Only.
but how do we build it?
We settled on a design that used a post-machined injection molded lens that we locked in place with a series of set screws.
The housing is 3D printed aluminum and designed to clamp itself between the rear structure of the car and the fiberglass of the rear bumper skin.
Since the housings were designed from a 3D scan of the rear of the car itself, we could ensure that the lights fit this individual car perfectly.
Prototyping!
We 3D printed several prototypes for testing fitment, lens mounting, and light output. This allowed us to confirm that everything fit, both in the car and in the assembled light.
Let's put this perfectly good lens in the cnc mill
Once the molds were machined and we had a few production lenses to test with, we were able to finalize our post-machining fixtures.
Using vacuum to hold the lens into the fixture we were able to machine the groove needed for the setscrews without resorting to a phenomenally more expensive injection mold.
What about the rest of it?
3D printed aluminum housings provide the strength, looks, and heat dissipation we need for the taillight design.
Let there be light
With the lenses machined, housings tapped for threads, and everything assembled, they’re ready to be tested then sent to the client.
Tools & Technologies
- Artec 3D scanners
- Reverse Engineering Software
- CAD Software
Fabrication Process
- 3D metal printing
- Injection molding
- 3-axis CNC milling
Equipment & Hardware
