Prominent automotive manufacturers, from General Motors to BMW, are embracing industrial 3D printing technologies to create innovative products. They have adopted these technologies in their production and design workflows to incorporate 3D printed end-use parts into their vehicles.
The automotive sector has long used additive manufacturing (AM), initially for prototyping, but now as a full-fledged production technology. 3D printed automotive parts are often stronger and lighter than their traditionally manufactured counterparts. These advantages are why more automotive companies are using additively manufactured parts in their vehicles.
A lot of high-end, luxury vehicles have 3D printed parts, but it’s also becoming more commonplace in base vehicle lines. As new innovations advance AM technologies, automotive manufacturers will continue to invest in 3D printed components.
Additive Drives Production for Automakers
Industrial 3D printing has emerged as a technology with multiple benefits for the manufacturing industry, especially within the automotive sector. Some of these benefits include helping both original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers localize their supply chain, attract new talent during a workforce shortage, and make production more efficient.
The automotive industry is evolving with the rise of electric vehicles (EVs), new tariffs and other supply chain constraints, and the progression of advanced technologies. By adopting AM manufacturers can keep pace with these changes and continue to meet consumer demands. Industrial 3D printing offers manufacturers more than just promised benefits; there’s data to back up AM’s advantages. Automakers using 3D printing in production can even cut costs by up to 90%.
In addition to enjoying cost savings and improved production efficiency, automotive companies that invest in AM are also seeing a positive impact on their workforce. The manufacturing industry overall is suffering from a worker shortage that has also hit the automotive sector. But advanced technologies like 3D printing are helping to attract new manufacturing workers who have the skills to utilize this tech.
General Motors is one example of an OEM that has embraced AM technologies and is recruiting workers who have a digital skillset. Even just knowing computer-aided design can be an asset. And having skilled workers like these helps OEMs introduce more innovative technologies that don’t require constant supervision from human workers to run tasks that speed up production.
Automakers’ current and future needs and 3D printing’s capabilities make them a perfect match. At a time when the auto industry is shifting and evolving, the benefits of adopting and investing in AM are ensuring these companies stay relevant and competitive in the modern manufacturing landscape.
Honda Looks to 3D-Metal Innovation
Another OEM increasing its usage of 3D printing technologies is Honda Motor Co., which is currently focusing on metal 3D printing. With this investment, Honda aims to cut process times at every stage of production.
Honda is already using 3D printing technologies, primarily powder-bed fusion. However, working with metal has some different considerations in the world of AM. Part deformation is one of the main issues that arises when 3D printing metal. Honda already has plans to combat this with prediction simulation technology. By using this technology, Honda engineers can eliminate costly trial and error processes when 3D printing metal components while maintaining a part’s quality.
Though still in the testing phase at the time of this article, Honda plans to use metal 3D printing to manufacture turbine housing and pistons for Formula One race cars. These products are designed in such a way that it can often be impossible to reproduce them with traditional manufacturing methods, especially at the same performance level. 3D printed metal components are often lighter and stronger than traditionally manufactured counterparts — a clear advantage in the performance racing world.
In fact, Honda’s 3D printed automotive parts helped lead Red Bull’s F1 racing team to victory in 2020. Race-car components showcase an interesting and innovative use case for 3D printing in the automotive world, but other automakers are using this technology to create components for base vehicles as well.
BMW Puts Additive Manufacturing Into Production
One of those vehicle manufacturers is BMW, which is at the forefront of 3D printing adoption and using 3D printed parts in the production of multiple vehicles. On a global scale, every BMW facility features some level of AM technologies. The company uses AM at every step in its product life cycle, from prototyping to series production.
Some popular BMW vehicles that use 3D printed components include the Rolls-Royce and Mini brands and the Neue Klasse platform of EVs. BMW has plans to continue growing its investment in AM, with a focus on obtaining 3D printers with larger build volumes and working on automating some of the processes within production.
This company is so committed to advancing additive within its operations that it even opened a dedicated AM facility in Germany in 2020: BMW’s Additive Manufacturing Campus. In addition to the 1.6 million parts that have been 3D printed at this facility, there are more than 100,000 AM parts manufactured every year throughout BMW vehicle plants. Clearly, 3D printing technologies are making an impact in the automotive sector on a global level.
3D Printing’s Growth in Automotive
With 3D printing technologies becoming more advanced, the automotive sector is beginning to widely adopt 3D printed components within all vehicle levels, from base to luxury to high performance. In the current automotive manufacturing landscape, it seems that nearly every major automaker has implemented AM into production operations.
And 3D printing is poised to keep growing further in automotive. AM technologies offer automotive OEMs and suppliers a level of innovation and customization that consumers are coming to expect of an increasingly digitalized industry. Adopting 3D printing is necessary for these companies to meet consumer demands and stay competitive on a global scale.
If you’re a professional in the automotive sector and interested in how 3D printing can help your company or specific product line, then attending RAPID + TCT is a must. North America’s largest additive manufacturing and industrial 3D printing event is headed to Detroit in 2027, taking over Huntington Place from April 12-15. Don’t miss your chance to catch the latest 3D printed products and trends making waves in the automotive industry.