3D PRINTING MACHINE FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
iNTRODUCTION TO 3D PRINTING 3D PRINTER IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
As 3D printers get cheaper, faster, and more accurate to operate, more industries find a use for them. One of the big industries that have been in love with 3D printers over the past decade is the automotive industry. Some of the biggest names in the world of auto have been using this technology to get an upper hand on their competitors.
In this piece, we’ll dive into the automotive industry. We’ll see how 3D printers are used, what their role is, who’s using them, and why the technology is so useful for them.
ADVANTAGES OF 3D PRINTING FOR THE AUTO INDUSTRY
If these big names in the auto industry are using 3D printing, there has to be a good reason. Well, there are a number of reasons why 3D printers are so useful in this industry. Let’s talk about some of the major ones.
THE PRICE
First and foremost, manufacturing low-run or one-off parts is incredibly expensive if you use traditional machining.
There’s a cost associated with buying raw material, setting up machines, learning about the part, and finally making it. With traditional machine shops, the “per unit” cost goes down as you make more and more. One-off parts have the highest possible “per unit” cost.
For most production cars, they’ll use bulk manufacturing to knock out hundreds of thousands of parts. Before the final production run, during the initial stages, these manufacturers might just need 10 or 20 parts to play with.
Rather than spending an outrageous amount on a machine shop, these companies can use a 3D printing shop. They’ll enjoy a much lower price on most of the items they’re considering.
A part that costs $5,000 to machine might only cost $500 to 3D print.
SPEED OF MANUFACTURING
Not only are 3D printed parts cheaper, but they’re faster to make. Car parts can be really complicated which means machining them can take a lot of time, energy, and a talented machinist.
Instead of waiting for the long lead-times of traditional machining, an automotive company can turn to a 3D printing shop. For especially complicated parts, they might save weeks or months in lead-time.
EASE OF ITERATIVE DESIGN
During the prototyping stage, there’s a lot of iteration that goes on. The designers might go through a dozen prototypes, each with small tweaks from the previous version. These tweaks happen after holding the prototype in their hand and physically testing it.
Each of these iterations results in more money and time spent waiting for a machinist to finish the part. With a 3D printer, a designer can make changes and have the new part start printing within the same day.
It’s easy to make changes on a 3D CAD model and ship it over to a 3D printing shop.
LIGHTWEIGHTING
Designing a part for a 3D printer is very different than designing it for a CNC mill. With a 3D printer, you have more design freedom.
One avenue of freedom is the ability to lightweight a piece. Bugatti wanted to make a lighter brake caliper, so they 3D printed one it was featured in headlines across the world.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO 3D PRINT A WHOLE CAR?
So far, we’ve only talked about 3D printing machine components or parts of a car. Is it possible to print a whole car? Not only is it possible, but it’s already been done a number of times.
3D printers can use multiple different materials and can print almost anything that can be otherwise manufactured. Through a combination of carbon fiber, plastics, and metals, it’s easy to visualize how someone might 3D print a whole car.
The only place where 3D printing falls short is in the electrical components, tires, engine, and suspension. For now, it’s probably easier just to buy and install those components into an otherwise fully 3D printed car.
