A newly published technical study presents an integrated workflow that combines CNC machining with traditional hand finishing to improve the efficiency and accuracy of automotive clay model production.

Clay models remain an essential part of vehicle design, allowing designers to evaluate proportions, surfaces and character lines under real lighting conditions before production. However, conventional clay modelling relies heavily on skilled craftsmanship, making the process both time-consuming and difficult to standardize.

The proposed workflow uses five-axis CNC machining to complete the primary shaping of the clay model, while experienced clay modellers focus on refining critical surfaces, feature lines and design details. By combining digital manufacturing with manual craftsmanship, the process maintains the flexibility required during vehicle styling development while significantly improving consistency.

According to the published results, the integrated manufacturing process reduced clay model production time from approximately 21 days to less than four days. Key feature-line accuracy improved by 60%, while labour costs were reduced by 67%. The research also introduced optimized machining parameters, adaptive toolpath planning based on surface curvature and a digital quality-control process to improve machining stability and Class-A surface quality.

As automotive development cycles continue to shorten, the combination of CNC technology and expert clay modelling is becoming an increasingly important workflow for design studios. The study suggests that future developments could incorporate AI-assisted toolpath optimization and predictive quality control, further accelerating digital transformation in automotive styling.