Automotive Additive Manufacturing
The use of 3D printing for automotive prototyping is among the very first commercial uses of AM. As the aerospace and medical segments began evolving the technology toward production, the automotive additive manufacturing has remained largely confined to that first use until now.
This is due primarily to the lower part cost requirements of the larger automotive industry. As AM technologies are now increasingly able to provide larger parts, larger part batches and faster production capabilities (through both machine evolutions and increased process automation), along with more readily available end-use materials, the current period and the next two years will be of fundamental importance for AM adoption by the automotive segment.
On 3D Printing Media Network we continuously track and analyze all these latest trends for AM adoption within the global automotive industry.
Additive manufacturing and 3D printing technologies, already imbedded into the core of the auto industry, have now entered into the new and exciting areas of automobile supply and manufacturing chains. 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 3D printing technology and are therefore quite exciting.
Read the latest automotive additive manufacturing news:
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BMW’s new S58 engine features 3D printed cylinder head
German automotive manufacturer BMW is rolling out a new M straight-six engine, the BMW S58. The innovative engine, which will replace the S55 engine as the face of the M Division, integrates a number of exciting features including a 3D printed cylinder head core. Introduced in 2013, the S55 represented…
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IndyCar team Andretti Autosport adopts Stratasys FDM 3D printing
Stratasys has announced a new partnership with Andretti Autosport, a top racing team in IndyCar, Indy Lights, Rallycross and Formula E. The collaboration consists of a multi-year agreement through which Andretti will utilize Stratasys’ FDM 3D printing technology and materials to accelerate the design and development of its racing platforms.…
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Lamborghini adopts Carbon 3D printing for automotive production at scale
3D printing company Carbon has just announced an exciting new collaboration with Italian sports car brand Lamborghini. Through the partnership, Lamborghini will leverage Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology to produce end-use components for its Super SUV, the Urus. The Urus SUV, which the Sant’Agata Bolognese-based sports car brand released…
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Liverpool startup closes £2M contract for Co-Fabrico automotive AM marketplace
Connect 4.0, a Liverpool-based startup, has been granted a £2 million contract for its Co-Fabrico platform. Introduced one year ago, the platform is an online marketplace that enables the automotive industry to design vehicle parts using augmented reality and purchase the parts as market-ready 3D printed products. Connect 4.0 is…
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Fix your stare to the wheels of this 3D printed, Bowie-inspired car
Takumi Yamamoto, a visionary automotive designer, has drawn inspiration from various things in his work, but his most recent car design might be his most personal yet. As a tribute to one of the most influential and iconic rock stars of our time, Yamamoto has created a 3D printed concept…
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Carbon and Ford showcase 3D printed end-use parts at NAIAS 2019
With the 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in full swing in Detroit this week, it was only a matter of time before there was some additive manufacturing-related news. 3D printing company Carbon and the Ford Motor Company presented a series of digitally manufactured polymer parts at the Additive…
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NXE400: Nexa3D exhibits large format SLA 3D printer at CES 2019
SLA 3D printer manufacturer Nexa3D will be presenting its newest 3D printer in North America for the first time at CES 2019 this week. The machine, the NXE400, is reportedly capable of print speeds six times faster than competing printers and has a build volume 2.5 times larger than comparable machines…
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BMW’s M850i Night Sky integrates meteorite fragments, 3D printed features
BMW’s Individual Manufaktur customization facility in Garching, Germany is known for producing some pretty amazing and unique vehicles, but its latest car is, to be blunt, out of this world. The vehicle, dubbed the BMW Individual M850i Night Sky, integrates some truly stellar features, including actual extra-terrestrial fragments and innovative…
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Inside the Volkswagen 3D printing center at the Autostadt
Automotive giant Volkswagen – like other German automotive brands – is rapidly becoming a large adopter of 3D printing – and especially metal 3D printing – technologies not just for prototypes and tools but also for direct production of final car parts and components. The Group – which includes other…
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