Automotive
Automotive additive manufacturing has been embedded into the core of the auto industry in the form of rapid prototyping since the very first AM technologies appeared at the end of the 1980s. AM has subsequently gradually entered new areas of the automobile industry, such as motorsports and luxury limited editions, to then open new possibilities in terms of mass customization.
Now the next and final phase of AM adoption is upon us, as AM radically alters supply chain and production dynamics, becoming the standard for tooling and enabling new possibilities in spare parts and obsolescence management. With the ultimate goal of introducing AM technologies to truly digitalize and further automate serial mass production. In particular, the now clearly unstoppable EV revolution stands to both benefit and further drive adoption of AM as weight optimization and integrated subassemblies become a key requirement to extend mileage and reduce energy consumption within increasingly “solid-state” vehicles.
As the first major consumer product industry to do so, the implications and the potential for this paradigm shift are extremely significant for both AM and the global manufacturing industry as a whole. The implications extend to all industries linked to manufacturing, such as material production, and product distribution. The prospects, given the sheer scale of the global auto market, are incredibly important for the development of automotive additive manufacturing technology and are therefore quite exciting, as high throughput AM technologies become more established for polymer materials and may now finally be within reach for metals as well.
The production requirements of the automotive segment—and its subsegments—are unique, and strictly tied to both the underlying characteristics of the automotive segment (high productivity requirements, lower cost of materials, high automation of production), its changing trends (demand, regulations, scale economics, geopolitical situations, supply chain dynamics) and macro trends (propulsion systems, mass customization, smart mobility, connectivity and digitalization).
Most manufacturers of 3D printing technology have established strong ties and experience developing and selling solutions to the auto industry. The reality, however, is that the additive manufacturing industry at large is still only just waking up to the challenges associated with vertically integrated manufacturing solutions.
The next phase of innovation, adoption and industrialization of automotive additive manufacturing passes through scaling up of final parts production. In order for AM technologies to complete the necessary transition, several steps will need to be taken. These include continued investments in technology R&D from major stakeholders in both the AM and in the automotive industries; increased AM integration in the end-to-end manufacturing workflow to reduce costs and increase speeds, as well as the continued development of DfAM (Design for Additive Manufacturing) optimizations. With new machines such as SLM Solutions’ 12-laser NXG 600 system, Desktop Metal’s Production Systems, GE Additive’s H2, HP’s MetalJet and ExOne’s X1 160Pro targeted specifically at this market segment and arriving into the market this year, 2021 is already shaping up the most critical period for this next phase of AM’s growth.
In this first AM Focus of 2021, in partnership with some of the most important automotive and AM industry stakeholders, we build upon our previous 2020 focus on Automotive AM to continue to shed light on the very latest developments for automotive additive manufacturing in terms of hardware technologies, material science and production automation, presenting an additional analysis of how AM is enabling the EV revolution.
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MINI Electric Pacesetter Formula E safety car features 3D printed seats
The MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW is the new safety car of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship racing series and thus connects the brand’s electrified future with the rich racing history of John Cooper Works. The vehicle, which also sports unique, generatively designed, 3D printed seats, was…
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EOS and Audi expand range of applications for metal 3D printing
AUDI AG, a leading manufacturer of premium vehicles, is relying entirely on industrial 3D printing at its Metal 3D Printing Centre in Ingolstadt for the production of selected tool segments. Additive manufacturing (AM) with EOS technology is used for 12 segments of four tools for hot forming. Plans call for…
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SOLIZE and HP enable 3D production of replacement NISMO heritage parts
SOLIZE Corporation and HP Inc. are partnering on on-demand production of discontinued replacement parts for Nissan’s NISMO Heritage Parts program. The two companies are the first to design and manufacture 3D printed replacement parts for NISMO enthusiasts. After working with Nissan to identify ideal parts for 3D production, SOLIZE then…
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How PIX Moving is using WAAM to reshape the future of e-mobility
PIX Moving is working to reshape the future of city life by fully exploiting autonomous mobility and bringing mobility to traditionally fixed brick and mortar business spaces. The team developed many electric chassis platforms of various sizes, that customers use as a base to develop their ideas. A few days…
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Williams Racing and Nexa3D bring the NXE400 to F1 racing
Williams Racing celebrated a new partnership with Nexa3D, which brings rapid polymer 3D printing to Formula One racing. Beginning this month, Nexa3D’s NXE400 ultrafast photoplastic 3D printer will be available to manufacture functional wind tunnel parts for aero testing. The company’s NexaX software enables high-performance additive manufacturing processes using modern…
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PIX uses WAAM to simplify car manufacturing
In 2019, PIX turned to WAAM (wire arc additive manufacturing), then an emerging AM technology that used a combination of an electric arc as a heat source and a metal wire as feedstock. The resulting chassis was much lighter and easier to produce, thus reducing costs for PIX, whose goal…
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Racing with Sauber into the future of additive production
Swiss motorsport company Sauber is a historic team in the Formula 1 circuit, where it has been competing since 1993. The intensive implementation of AM at Sauber since the early 2000s is not the only reason why the company is now playing such a relevant role in the AM industry:…
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The gorgeous new hybrid McLaren Artura V6 engine is produced using 3D printed cores
The brief for the McLaren Artura was even more challenging than its predecessors: to create a series-production High-Performance Hybrid supercar that excels on every level, with performance, engagement and efficiency sharing equal top-billing. The engineering and design team approached the challenge holistically – no single part of the process was…
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