Let me briefly talk about it first. Additive manufacturing is 
D printing , and 3D printing is also additive manufacturing.
Adjustable manufacturing technology is constantly recognized in the field of precision processing in small-scale production. Many automobile companies choose to introduce this technology in production, including making samples, making spare parts, printing whole vehicles (test car), and mass production Parts, distributed production and other aspects are all used. From Bugatti to Porsche to Chevrolet , from buses to luxury custom cars, 3D printing can be seen.
It is reported that the famous British automaker Aston Martin launched the DBR22: V12 new engine two-seat passenger car design concept for the first time during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance held in California . This is to celebrate As One of the key innovations is that the DBR22 adopts a 3D printed rear subframe .
Aston Martin Chief Technology Officer Roberto Fedeli Publicity: "The manufacturing process is crucial to the construction of DBR22. We use carbon fiber throughout the process and use 3D printing to manufacture structural parts. Therefore, DBR22 demonstrates As Donmartin’s unique ability, its world-class design combined with flexible, intelligent engineering and production methods. Engineering development means DBR22 for a car designed to celebrate the ultimate customization service Really having a dynamic look that matches it, ensuring that driving is as fascinating as the appearance. ”
This is the first time Aston Martin has introduced an additive manufacturing method in automotive production. The frame assembly is made of multiple 3D printed parts printed in aluminum and then bonded to form a finished subframe, a technology introduced by automotive 3D printing pioneers such as Divergent. The advantages are obvious, with significant weight reduction without stiffness reduction and the ability to manufacture special parts for ultra-small volume models as needed. Kevin Czinger, founder of
Divergent, confirmed on Linkedin: "The company is proud to work with Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd and other major global OEMs to change the future of automotive design and engineering. In the next few years, the Divergent team will be in the United States and Europe. Expand multiple modular plants to deploy Divergent Adaptive Production Systems (DAPS). In addition, we are also a Tier 1 supplier to many major OEM brands, with production plans for frame and suspension systems ranging from 100 per year per vehicle model Car to 2025 It will reach tens of thousands of vehicles in the year."
DBR22 The design concept shows the brand new body of Aston Martin designers. A particularly noteworthy feature is the all-new front grille, which features a unique carbon fiber design, replacing the textures commonly found in Aston Martin’s range of products. The hood has a horseshoe-shaped vent, and the recessed helps airflow from the 5.2-liter V12 twin-turbocharged engine located below it. This long and complete hood line pulls the line of sight back into the cockpit, over the low line windshield and mirrors that are mounted on the slender windshield carbon fiber arms at the top of the door.
Application of additive manufacturing in the automotive field
Application of additive manufacturing technology in the automotive industry has made significant progress, and mass production of automotive parts has been achieved locally. This technology has extraordinary significance for the entire automobile industry production system. Its existence may be one of the key pillars supporting the future automobile revolution. The following is a list of well-known applications of additive manufacturing in the automotive field recently.
Porsche: 3D printed seats
Porsche gradually gives 3D printed fitness sports seats to the group's 18, 911 and other car series. At the same time, the vehicle series that has been delivered at this stage can also be changed to a newer seat, and the support point and seat posture of the seat will be more ergonomic.
According to the external publicity of Porsche official website, the latest fitness sports seats are all made of 3D printing, and the middle part of the back can also give three different strengths to choose from. Porsche test driver Lars After feeling the three-dimensional printed seat, Kern said, "The Australian seat has left a deep impression during the inspection process. It is more ergonomic, with a slightly lower seating posture and improved support points at the root of the thigh. Similar to the seats in sports car . In addition, its natural ventilation is also impressive. "
General AIC Center: 24 metal and non-metal 3D printers
In March 2021, General Motors (GM) opened a 15,000 square foot 3D printing equipment center - AIC, which includes 24 metal and non-metal equipment. The Additive Industrialization Center (AIC) is dedicated to the production of 3D printing technology in the automotive industry. The center is considered a benchmark application center for General Motors to increase expertise and investment in the field of 3D printing.
As a benchmark, GM has mastered the ability of 3D printing as a prototype design tool, and many components are functional models used to pre-produce vehicles in various test environments . It is reported that through unremitting efforts, GM has successfully solved the problem of expensive early tools and rapid iteration on a series of parts. During the development of the brake cooling pipeline of Chevrolet Corvette, the company used additive materials. Manufacturing technology cuts time by 9 weeks and reduces cost by 60%.
GM is currently working to advance and expand the scope of 3D printing. They produce hand tools, automated components and fast response solutions through additive manufacturing, which are able to incorporate designs, reduce part quantity and reduce weight. For example, they 3D printed nearly 100 hand tools for the new full-size SUV using the device, and they used nylon carbon fiber composite instead of aluminum, and the weight dropped from 30 pounds to just 3 pounds.
With the launch of AIC, General Motors hopes to further produce terminal components on vehicles. Meanwhile, Cadillac also announced that CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing will become the first GM to mass-produce cars with 3D printed parts. These components include a badge on the manual shift knob, a wire harness bracket and two HVAC pipes, all produced in a way that reduces costs and increases efficiency. This is an important milestone for General Motors, and companies hope to accelerate the mass production of 3D-printed terminal components.
Local Motors 2: Use 3D printing technology to complete the parts upgrade for OLI 2.0 autonomous tram
On December 16, 2021, automobile original equipment manufacturer Local Motors announced a series of new parts upgrades to its 3D printed autonomous electric vehicle Olli 2.0 . After successful promotion in the United States, Local Motors encountered obstacles in the promotion of EU regionally. According to EU regulations, a set of windshield wiper needs to be equipped. Carlo Iacovini, General Manager of Europe,
Local Motors Europe, Middle East and Africa: Olli is operating on campuses, stadiums, industrial areas and local communities around the world. To approve deployments in Europe, it requires some additional components that are not needed on the US market.
To make key components, the company collaborated with CRP Technology, an Italian 3D printing service provider, to leverage CRP's proprietary Windform composites, which have now designed, 3D printed and integrated some additional windshields Wiper wipers upgraded to support the approval of European projects.
Spyros Panopoulos: 3000 horsepower 3D printing supercar CHAOS
Greek automaker Spyros Panopoulos Automobile Company (SPA) will launch a 3000 horsepower "supercar" with a unique design concept based on 3D printing.
SPA is about to launch a sports car with a 12,000 rpm V10 engine called "Chaos", which features feather-like 3D printed body panels that can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in two seconds. To get the supercar to reach its speed target, the SPA plans to use the "Anadiaplasi" manufacturing process to lighten some elements of Chaos. For example, the 3,000-horsepower supercar is intended to be equipped with 3D-printed four-way exhaust pipes, as well as titanium and magnesium-based brake calipers and rotor hubs. In addition, it is said that Chaos' futuristic body is 3D printed, and the same is true for some engines of the car, such as the engine set, piston , connecting rod, camshaft and intake valve , and light wheels are also It will be printed from titanium and is said to be using a similar method to GE Additive's electron beam melting (EBM) technology.
Auto parts manufacturer Divergent: Comprehensively accelerate the industrialization of additive manufacturing
SLM Solutions and Divergent have established a joint development relationship since 2017. Divergent has been using three NXG XII 600 prototype devices at its display base in Los Angeles, which allows them to develop more efficiently while accelerating the time the components produced by the equipment are put into market. With the newly purchased 3 devices, Divergent will install a total of 6 NXG XII 600 devices. At that time, Divergent will also become the company that installs the most NXG XII 600 devices in the United States. In addition, Divergent also has 7 SLM® 500 devices, 3 SLM280 devices and 1 SLM125 device.
Divergent's initial factory deployment also included many complex automatic assembly structures, which will be put into use in the next two years. Divergent will further expand the scale of its advanced facilities that will jointly support Divergent’s adaptive production systems and promote sustainable production, including outsourcing projects from mainstream automakers, as well as the upcoming mass production of Czinger 21C supercars plan.
Volkswagen : Metal 3D printed parts annual output reaches 100,000
June 19, 2021, Volkswagen declared that it is using a "adhesive spray" at its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany (Binder jetting)"'s new 3D printing process, which reduces the weight of the parts made by 50% compared to those made with traditional steel plates.
Adhesive jetting replaces the laser used in traditional 3D printing with a two-step method, which involves the use of an adhesive to build the parts. Volkswagen said the process allows it to reduce costs and increase productivity, and they are the only automaker currently using the process. Specifically, the first parts made using the Binder jetting process (currently awaiting internal certification) are A column parts of the T-Roc convertible. The parts weigh about half the weight of traditional manufacturing processes, and Volkswagen says they have tested the impact resistance of 3D printed parts.
Volkswagen announced that it has established a software partnership with Siemens to strengthen cooperation with HP's existing printers. This allows for more production advantages, nesting and superimposing printed parts, that is, manufacturing multiple parts simultaneously in the same printing room. Volkswagen said that these innovations combined will make 3D printing technology cheap enough to make it feasible in mass-produced vehicles.
Ford: Large-scale production of metal 3D printed automotive parts
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) publicly stated that it will use metal 3D printing technology to produce a new automotive parts on a large scale in the next two to three years.
Harold Sears, head of 3D printing technology at Ford: Relying on ExOne (Nasdaq: XONE) metal adhesive injection technology to achieve full production of the final components.As the project's large-scale production process continues to be improved, Ford plans to use this technology for the production of other components.
Ford recently collaborated with ExOne to 3D printed 6061 aluminum, whose physical properties are comparable to die-cast parts. The ability to 3D print and sinter metal in a repeatable way has led Ford to "believe that 3D printing can support the number of cars."
Ascension Design: 3D printed 2-piece titanium alloy wheel hub
Design company Ascension Design demonstrated the world's first 3D printed 2-piece titanium alloy wheel hub that can be used in actual use. According to the company's person in charge, the wheel hub has passed the performance test of national standards , meeting the performance conditions and requirements for on-roading, will be delivered to the first batch of customers in the near future to load on-road.
It is understood that the specifications of this wheel hub are 20 inches, the outer ring is made of carbon fiber material, and the inner ring is made of titanium alloy 3D printing (using a Platinum 4-laser large SLM metal 3D printer with a molding size up to 600mm), and the printing part diameter is It is 500mm, and the weight of a single hub is 10kg, which is 40% less than the weight of a traditional hub, and the overall performance is more than 30%. According to the person in charge, compared with traditional manufacturing methods, 3D printing can realize the customization of wheel hubs, truly meet the customized needs of different customers, and create cool shapes that cannot be achieved by traditional manufacturing methods.
Skoda : 3D printing technology streamlines the automobile production process
Czech Automobile manufacturer Skoda announced that it will continue to use 3D printing technology to produce automobile prototypes, spare parts and tools, thereby achieving the purpose of streamlining its automobile production business.
As part of the project "Make 3D printing factories more flexible" Skoda has established some printing factories, using systems developed by companies such as Prusa. The company's additive manufacturing program was recently recognized by the Industry Federation of the Czech Republic, which is now considered one of the five most innovative Industry 4.0 applications in the country in the past year. In addition, Skoda has announced its upcoming "FORCE-Factory" plan, which will accelerate the digital upgrade process in many of their company's production facilities.
reduces costs, improves work efficiency, and shortens development time
Because the development process of a new car is very complicated, it often takes several years for auto manufacturers to develop new models. This time is mainly used to design, test and iterate ideas, which means fast prototype design and short lead times are required. Instead of investing in the entire production line or mold just for a few small batches of parts, automakers can leverage 3D printers to simplify internal production. In addition to enabling companies to complete new designs in less time, using additive manufacturing can also greatly save costs as third-party manufacturers are completely phased out.
Of course, the use cases of 3D printing also extend to manufacturing tools, where fixtures can be produced within a few hours to aid in the operation of the assembly line. 3D printing has potential applications even in after-sale spare parts. Additive manufacturing can be especially convenient when dealing with previously traditionally manufactured but now outdated parts, as the procurement of parts can become a real pain point. By printing these parts on demand, companies can ensure faster lead times while reducing their dependence on huge inventory of physical parts.
References and pictures source:
Polar Bear, Bering 3D 3D printing, Ama molding
