Manufacturing of complex automotive parts such as suspension systems, nozzles, valves, and tools requires a considerable amount of time, energy, and cost. In addition to this, 3D printing can be useful in solving the inventory problem of many automotive OEMs. 3D manufacturing can produce highly complex parts (turbochargers, gear shifters, water connectors for engines, brake caliper, etc.), which are hard to produce by conventional manufacturing technology. When producing complex parts and tools, 3D manufacturing has an advantage over conventional (numerical control based) manufacturing technology. In the case of vintage vehicles and luxury cars, many of the spares can be printed with 3D printing technology. With the help of 3D printing technology, many automotive parts can be customized as per customer preference might boost the performance/ experience of customers. ![]() ![]() However, 3D printing technology can be used effectively to produce custom automotive parts. Numeric control manufacturing processes are best suited for mass production applications due to this cost of customization/personalization of automotive parts (which includes body parts, seats, steering wheels, etc.) is expensive compared to standard parts. Below are a few examples where leading OEMs have adopted 3D printing technology. In the last five years, many leading automotive OEMs (such as BMW, Volkswagen, and Mercedes-Benz) have adopted 3D manufacturing technology for prototype building. Currently, 20-30% of the automotive companies (OEMs and part manufacturers) are using 3D manufacturing technology in prototype building. The application of 3D printing technology, in prototyping, has resulted in time-saving for new design developments (iterations in the design process). According to industry experts, “3D printing technology is rapidly replacing conventional prototyping methods. The majority of the 3D printer in the automotive sectors are deployed in prototyping applications. 3D printing technology is playing a vital role in the manufacturing of complex automotive parts such as battery covers, air ducts, mirror sockets, suspension wishbone, etc. However, the technology is gaining greater traction in the manufacturing of custom parts in the luxury and sports cars segment. In the current scenario (as of 2019), 3D printing is mainly deployed for prototyping applications in the automotive industry. Many automotive OEMs and part manufacturers are cautiously investing in this technology. 3D Printing in the Automotive Industry–Current ScenarioģD printing is gaining traction in the automotive industry. Some companies–such as XEV, Kor Ecologic and Stratasys, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory–are working or have developed 3D printed cars, where 80-90% of the parts are manufactured using 3D printing technology cars. Companies in the automotive sector are working on manufacturing a wide range of cost-effective parts. Before 3D printing technology, prototyping was an expensive and time-consuming process. ![]() In the automotive sector, 3D printing technology is mainly used for the prototype building, in which desktop printers are used to produce complex automotive parts with increased speed. ![]() Currently, the medical industry utilizes 3D manufacturing technology to print tissues, organs, implants, prostheses, etc. The Medical & dental sector, along with the aerospace sector (refer to Exhibit 2), is currently at the forefront of 3D manufacturing technology adoption. There are three main types of additive manufacturing technologies, namely, fused deposition modeling (FDM), stereolithography (SLA), and selective laser sintering (SLS). 3D manufacturing is 40 years old technology with emerging applications (refer Exhibit 1) in the fields of medical, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, automotive, fashion, electronics, logistics, food & beverage, etc. In this technology layer by layer, the material is added to form an object/parts and hence called as additive manufacturing. The 3D printing process constructs a three-dimensional object with the help of a computer-aided design model. Evolution of 3D Manufacturing in the Automotive Industry
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |