Aston Martin ECU
Part: Aston Martin ECU Exterior Shell, Lens Battery Cover, and Bezel
Abstract
Two grand isn’t unheard of for jewelry, but when the jewelry is your car key the price might raise some eyebrows. Aston Martin unveiled a new DBS line in 2007 (original line 1967-1972) and weren’t shy about pulling out all the stops. The ECU (Emotion Control Unit) is a piece of art in itself. With a body molded from material NASA uses for helmets, and an end cap made of crystal sapphire that accentuates the etched Aston Martin logo beneath, it’s clear that Aston Martin set out to create THE luxury key.
Key Points
Throughout this project New Berlin Plastics:
- Met the very stringent cosmetic requirements of Aston Martin
- Created and managed an efficient supply chain
- Optimized production efficiencies along the supply chain
Ingenuity
Strattec awarded New Berlin Plastics the manufacturing of the exterior shell, lens battery cover, and bezel for Aston Martin’s artful ECU. NBP had a mold tooled, added overflow tabs, and fine-tuned the colorant fill and balance. These adjustments removed knit-lines around openings and screw holes, improved resin flow, and solved an issue with speckling that was discovered in early sample runs. Once the parts are molded they’re CNCed using a custom palletized 14+14 fixture that was built by our in-house tool room.
Value
Efficient Supply Chain: As these parts require laser etching, they need a very unique and specialized hard coating. Once NBP molds the parts, they’re sent out to the coater who NBP worked closely with to optimize their process and production efficiency. NBP often creates and manages these supply chains as a means of providing a “one-stop shop” for our customers. After the parts are coated they’re sent back to us for final inspection.
