The 3D printing technology has given rise to spectacular achievements in the automotive industry, starting from the possibility of fast prototyping, through a more and more widespread production of final car parts, and ending with 3D manufacturing of nearly the whole cars.
Nobody should be surprised with a growing interest in 3D printing on the part of large concerns, such as Mitsubishi Chemical or BASF, which see a serious and profitable business in using FDM printing technology in the automotive sector.
The use of 3D printers by car manufacturers
The automotive sector has liked 3D printing and has been using its opportunities on a daily basis more and more often. Designers and engineers open to innovation implement bold ideas with the use of the technology, thus, extending the pallet of engineering benefits and optimising the manufacturing processes.
1. 3D printed end-use parts
The times when the main use of 3D printing technology in the automotive industry was fast prototyping have long gone now. The report of the SmartTech Publishing research company on the automotive sector shows that 3D printing is more and more often used in manufacturing the final car parts. The analysts expect that by 2029 the 3D printing market in that narrow sector will generate as much as USD 9 billion revenue. The leaders in using the additive technology to manufacture final car parts is – as reports SmartTech – Volkswagen, and the second position is occupied by BMW and Ford.
2. High-performance materials in producing cars
One of the currently most popular and most frequently used 3D printing technology in the automotive sector is FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication). Its advantage is the possibility to use many different materials, the properties of which are similar to plastics. With the use of a 3D printer the needed parts and details may be created, which not only enables companies to keep production continuity, which is very important nowadays, but also become independent of external suppliers and streamline the production processes.
1. Fire-trucks manufacturer use industrial 3D printer
Examples of using 3D printers in automotive
The company of Bocar, which deals with the manufacturing of fire service vehicles, uses the printer to create sub-assembly prototypes from plastics. In cooperation with 3DGence, it has prepared a model of an extruded collector at 1:1 scale. Thanks to the professional 3DGence INDUSTRY F340 printer the process of the element creation has been shortened for several months. The ready cast eliminates the necessity of manual welding of elbows, pipes and flanges. Thanks to that hydraulic systems are more accurate and their failure rate is reduced.
2. Building racing car with the use 3D printing technology
Polish students also contribute to the development of the automotive industry, including electromobility. Their latest electric racing car AGH Racing – RTE 2.0 “LEM” presented to the world on 11 July 2019 consists of 3D printed elements.
The newest engineering solutions available on the market, including 3D printing, were applied in constructing the racing car. Among other things, the battery packs casing was printed from an inflammable material on a 3DGence INDUSTRY F340 device. Additionally, the use of that 3D printer enabled the creation of other parts and models, including aerodynamic elements dies, thanks to which we were able to independently prepare the components needed for the racing car.