Tag: automotive

3D Printing in Automotive: Advancing the Industry

3D printing technologies, like 3D printed auto parts, have been used by the automotive industry for years, especially within research and development (R&D). But as 3D printing in automotive continues to advance, this technology offers more and more beneficial use cases within this sector.

Present-day automotive manufacturing operations have expanded beyond R&D and are also using 3D printing to create commercial end-use products. From faster production times to lighter, more durable parts, 3D printing capabilities provide a number of benefits to automotive manufacturers.

3D Printing in Automotive Manufacturing

There is a significant 3D printing presence in automotive manufacturing today, for everything from prototyping to custom interior parts to personalized commercial end-use products. Metal 3D printing in particular has really taken off in automotive. But where 3D printing technologies are really progressing with the automotive industry is in the electric vehicle (EV) sector.

“In the EV sector, weight is much more important and plays a role in the vehicle’s battery life,” explains Neil Glazebrook, Vice President of 3D Solutions at ABCorp. “Industrial 3D printing can easily lightweight vehicle parts, reducing the overall weight of a vehicle.”

This decrease in weight helps EVs perform better, making 3D printed parts the obvious choice for these types of vehicles. But it’s more than just 3D printed parts, an automotive manufacturer can design parts for additive manufacturing. This allows manufacturers to make adjustments in the design process to create a better part when compared to traditional design and manufacturing methods.

“Design for additive has really taken off in the last couple of years. Using additive design principles, manufacturers are lightening the vehicle, which makes it more efficient. And they’re also looking at different stresses in the part. With additive and new design technologies, manufacturers can design for those stresses and create a 3D printed part that performs better and lasts longer than a traditionally manufactured part,” describes Glazebrook.

Additive Manufacturing vs. Traditional Manufacturing in Automotive

Introducing additive technologies into automotive production has led to some changes in the industry’s manufacturing methods. Industrial 3D printing has a faster turnaround time than traditional manufacturing. In the early days of additive technology, this increased speed was the basis for rapid prototyping and resulted in wide-scale adoption of additive manufacturing in R&D.

When manufacturers saw the benefits of additive manufacturing, they started to use this technology to produce end-use parts. In recent years, 3D printed end-use parts have become even more prevalent in automotive manufacturing. Rather than relying on a traditional production line for everything, manufacturers are now introducing more additive manufacturing into their production processes.

“One of the best things about 3D printing is automotive manufacturers can create parts a lot quicker. The faster turnaround time has led to many more 3D printed automotive components in vehicles, which improves the overall performance and efficiency of the vehicles,” says Glazebrook.

When it comes to production, 3D printing can speed up time to market for products, and it can also bring the supply chain closer to manufacturers, particularly original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The flexibility that 3D printing gives manufacturers allows them to better navigate problems that arise, not only in their own operations, but also on a larger scale. Having easy access to a 3D printer can really minimize unexpected situations, such as supply chain constraints.

“From an OEM and supply chain standpoint, 3D printing has really been a game changer for automotive manufacturing,” explains Glazebrook. “Parts that use to take weeks to make or receive, those can now be printed overnight.”

Implementing additive manufacturing within production processes enables manufacturers to create 3D printed auto parts that are more durable while using less material compared to traditionally manufactured parts. These parts tend to perform better and often take less time to create.

“Not every design can be created with traditional manufacturing,” Glazebrook says, “that’s one reason designing for additive is gaining more traction in the automotive industry. However, additive and subtractive manufacturing can work well together to create an end-use part. Overall, though, when it comes to additive vs. traditional, additive manufacturing significantly improves production speed and time to market, in addition to creating parts up to 50% lighter.”

Automotive Industry Investing in Industrial 3D Printing

As industrial 3D printing becomes more prevalent across multiple industries, automotive manufacturers are seeing the benefits of this technology and starting to invest more into it. These manufacturers are adding multiple 3D printers into their operations and investing more capital and engineering budgets into additive manufacturing. Investing in additive enables automotive manufacturers to create better parts, have more control over their supply chain, and get products to market faster.

“With additive, manufacturers are becoming more efficient in their production operations while also creating better-quality parts,” says Glazebrook. “3D printing creates parts that are lighter, stronger, and more durable, and this technology is going to continue to grow in the automotive industry and beyond.”

If you’re a manufacturer interested in exploring 3D printed auto parts and more solutions, check out ABCorp’s 3D printing division. To explore even more industrial 3D printing, check out RAPID + TCT: North America’s largest additive manufacturing and industrial 3D printing event, taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 25-27, 2024.

 

 

 

The Future of 3D Printing

The impacts of 3D printing are nothing short of extraordinary, with innovations spanning across industries and pushing the boundaries of what was once deemed impossible. However, the future of 3D printing has become even brighter. From the intricacies of medical advancements and the preservation of vintage vehicles with rare part replacements to expanding the horizons of construction, 3D printing is set to revolutionize the way we create, build, and design.

Customized Pharmaceuticals

With 3D printed prosthetics continuing to gain traction in the medical field, the possibilities that 3D printing bring to the industry continue to grow more and more remarkably. In fact, 3D printing has already made several large strides in the medical field.

In 2014, a 22-year-old woman in the Netherlands suffering from a chronic bone disorder had part of her skull removed and replaced with a 3D-printed one. In 2015, the antiepileptic drug Spritam became the first 3D-printed medication to be approved by the FDA. In 2020, a woman born with a misshapen ear was able to have a 3D-printed implant made from her very own cells.

3D Printed Skull – via Wired

In fact, the impressive strides 3D printing has made in the medical field go as far back as 1999, when the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine was able to 3D print a bladder, cover it in the patient’s cells, and then implant it. As of 2018, the bladder was still fully functioning.

The remarkable possibilities don’t stop there.

One of the most promising aspects of 3D bioprinting is its potential to revolutionize personalized medicine. Medical professionals predict that there will soon come the day where they are able to create same-day custom medical devices while patients patiently sit in the waiting room, provide customized medications tailored to each patient’s needs, and create far more advanced 3D printed medical implants.

Imagine receiving a perfectly matched organ for transplantation, customized at the cellular level. While experts agree that our technology is not quite there yet, some say that we’re not too far off, potentially seeing the transplanting of complex human organs, such as hearts or lungs, and even cells, within the next 20 to 30 years.

In addition, 3D bioprinting is set to transform drug development by providing more accurate and realistic tissue models for testing. Traditional 2D cell cultures may not be able to capture all of the complexities of human tissues, but bioprinting allows for the creation of far more intricate structures, enhancing the reliability of drug screening and development processes.

This type of innovation could significantly reduce the risk of organ rejection, improve the overall success rates of such procedures, open unforeseen avenues for regenerative medicine, and provide accessible, cost-effective, life-saving, and life-changing medical equipment and medication to those who need it.

Rare Parts Replacement

Among the myriad exciting opportunities that come with 3D printing, rare parts replacement emerges as quite the industry game-changer, where the fusion of 3D printing and rare parts replacement not only preserves automotive heritage but also catalyzes a new era of accessibility and innovation within the world of vintage vehicle restoration.

In a typical situation, getting your hands on rare or discontinued parts for vintage or niche cars has been an intimidating challenge, often requiring extensive searches, costly custom manufacturing, or simply getting lucky by having the right network.

Metal-based 3D printing, coupled with flexible filaments, has the power to completely revolutionize how to approach the scarcity of these rare parts. 3D printing technology uses the exact reproduction of intricate and hard-to-find components with pinpoint accuracy, meaning that automotive enthusiasts and restoration specialists alike will be able to recreate vintage or niche components, ensuring the preservation of classic vehicles and offering a more efficient and sustainable solution to the sourcing of these parts.

Not only will 3D printing improve the automotive world with regard to recreating vintage or niche vehicles, but if parts (rare or not) are able to be produced swiftly, the same can be said for larger car parts. It’s not too far-fetched to say that we could be mass-producing fully customized 3D printed cars before we know it.

Building Dreams

Beyond the niche automotive community and medical field, 3D printing has already made strides in the construction industry. In 2021, Habitat for Humanity provided their first 3D-printed home to a family in Virginia. The 1,200-square-foot home took only 12 hours to build, saving upwards of a month of construction time for a traditionally built home.

The potential impact 3D printing can have on the housing crisis is quite profound. Traditional construction methods often struggle to keep up with the ever-increasing demand for affordable homes, leading to prices skyrocketing exponentially and a lack of housing availability. In fact, approximately 582,000 people are currently experiencing homelessness in the United States.

3D printing introduces a game-changing alternative, capable of rapidly constructing cost-effective and structurally sound houses, and for the construction of these houses in unconventional locations or challenging terrains, ultimately opening up new possibilities for urban planning and, in turn, reducing the number of communities in areas deemed unsuitable for traditional construction.

The impact on the housing crisis could be revolutionary, offering a glimpse of a world where everyone has a place to call home, built with precision, speed, and a touch of technological artistry.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the future of 3D printing holds immense promise, ushering in a new era of innovation and transformative possibilities across diverse industries. As we stand at the intersection of technology and progress, 3D printing is not just a tool but a catalyst for change, transforming the way we approach medicine, the preservation of automotive history, and construction. The journey into this bright future is marked by endless possibilities, where customization, efficiency, and creativity converge to shape a world where the unimaginable becomes reality.