Speak out against wheel theft: Ford develops 'vocal' 3D locking nuts

摘要

As car security systems become increasingly sophisticated, thieves are turning their attention to car parts instead. This is bad news for owners of vehicles fitted with alloy wheels, but Ford now offers a way of keeping those wheels yours - and the solution is guaranteed to get car owners talking. Ford is taking the locking wheel nut a step further. Instead of relying upon an adaptor or key to loosen the nut, the vehicle manufacturer's engineers have teamed up with industrial 3D printing specialist EOS to develop locking nuts that feature contours based upon the driver's voice. Like an iris scan or a fingerprint, a person's voice can be used as a unique biometric identification. Engineers record the driver's voice for a minimum of one second, and use software to convert that singular soundwave into a physical, printable pattern. This pattern is then turned into a circle and used as the design for the locking nut's indentation and key. With the geometry in place, the nut and key are designed as one piece, then 3D-printed using acid and corrosion resistant stainless steel. When finished, the nut and key are separated. Only a small amount of grinding is then required to make them ready for use.