Pushing it to the Limit with the Hoonitruck! Ford Creates Largest 3D Printed Auto Part Ever

Ken Block

Rev up your engines and get those motors racing as we explore the wilder side of 3D printing in the automotive industry. If you are a car and truck or racing enthusiast who likes it with an epic dose of flash and glam mixed in too, you have probably heard of professional rally driver Ken Block (famous for his Gymkhana videos and documentary) and perhaps even envied his wild drives around the world—most recently tail-spinning from snowy Sweden to the urban streets of Detroit.

Ford has been a major sponsor of Block’s, along with a host of other companies, also now contributing to his 1977 Ford 150 ‘Hoonitruck.’ Obviously, this is not your run-of-the-mill vintage truck. Block enjoys some luxuries like remote startup via a smartphone app, but here are some of the more hardcore features that may interest you, to include:

  • A twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 (like the GT Le Mans racing car)
  • 914 horsepower
  • 702 lb-ft torque
  • Toyo Proxes ST III tires with 20-inch Turbomac wheels

Now, Ford engineers have also employed 3D printing in one of their German facilities to make serious innovations for Block’s truck. It is important to note that along with all the usual benefits of 3D printing—affordability in production, speed in turnaround, ability to create and edit iterations without hiring or waiting on a middleman—the greatest gift is in being able to fabricate parts that simply were not possible before.

For this project, the Ford engineering team was behind the creation of a complex geometry that took five days to make. Using aluminum as their material of choice (just one example of the wide range of materials available today offering extreme strength and durability for industrial endeavors), they created the largest 3D printed piece made from such a material for functional use in a vehicle.

The intake manifold required a web like structure that could not have been manufactured with conventional techniques:

“We are fortunate to have access to incredible technology, but this was one project that pushed us—and our computing power—to the absolute limit,” said Raphael Koch, an advanced materials and processes engineer at Ford of Europe.

Historically, the technology and processes used in automobile manufacturing has been just as fascinating (if not more so) as the products themselves. That trend has never stopped, propelled even further today with the advent of 3D printing and additive manufacturing and its wide use in the auto industry; in fact, some cars are now being completely constructed along those lines.

The aluminum 3D printed intake manifold

Leading manufacturers like Ford have been using 3D printing since its inception, mainly for prototyping, and long before the mainstream even had a clue about technology that would come along and rock the world not only with a major cool factor, but also allowing for infinite possibilities in creation never before imagined. Check out more heart-stopping footage of Block below, putting his Mustang to the test in Colorado—speeding up to the top of Pike’s Peak, one of the states most famous ‘fourteeners.’

What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source: Car and Driver; Images: Car and Driver / Ford]

Carbon and Ford Expanding Collaboration for Automotive 3D Printing Solutions

HVAC Lever Arm

Digital manufacturing company Carbon and the Ford Motor Company, which recently announced the opening of its new Advanced Manufacturing Center in Michigan, have revealed that they are expanding their existing collaboration, which began in 2015 around the time that Silicon Valley-based Carbon emerged from stealth mode with its innovative CLIP technology. The original partnership centered around materials research and using 3D printing for current and future vehicle design, and now the two companies will be working together to design and digitally manufacture several new durable, end-use automotive parts.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Ford Motor Company and are excited about the many opportunities to leverage the power of digital manufacturing to deliver durable, end-use parts with similar – or better – properties as injection molded parts. The automotive industry shows significant promise for using digital fabrication at scale, and our work with Ford is a perfect example of the kind of innovation you can achieve when you design on the means of production,” said Dr. Joseph DeSimone, the CEO and Co-Founder of Carbon.

Parking Brake Bracket

This week, Carbon, which has worked in the automotive sector in the past, revealed for the first time some of the new 3D printed polymer parts it produced for Ford, which was recognized for its work in automotive 3D printing in the fall as a triple finalist in the Automotive Innovation Awards Competition, which is held by the Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE).

Carbon used its robust 3D printers, proprietary Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology, and durable EPX (epoxy) 82 material to create several automotive parts, including HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Cooling) Lever Arm Service Parts for the Ford Focus, Ford F-150 Raptor Auxiliary Plugs for a niche market, and Ford Mustang GT500 Electric Parking Brake Brackets.

Together, Carbon and Ford jointly presented the new applications at the Additive Manufacturing for Automotive Workshop, which is part of the 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) held in Detroit this week.

When it comes to materials, Carbon knows what it’s talking about – the company’s mission is to reinvent how we design, engineer, manufacture, and deliver polymer products. Its EPX 82 material, part of its epoxy resin family, was a perfect choice for 3D printing the new automotive parts.

The components not only passed the rigorous performance standards set down by Ford for their selected applications, but they were also able to hold up well in terms of critical requirements, like fluid and chemical resistance, flammability (ISO 3795), short- and long-term heat exposures, interior weathering, UV stability, and fogging (SAEJ1756).

Carbon has been a major power player in the 3D printing field since it arrived on the scene. Now, through some of its more high-profile partnerships with companies such as Vitamix, Johnson & Johnson, adidas, and Ford, the company is moving past 3D printing and, in its own words, on “to full-scale digital manufacturing” by working with its customers to create high quality, well-made products across multiple industries.

What do you think? Discuss this news and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

[Images provided by Carbon]

Nexa3D’s Ultra-Fast NXE400 3D Printing System Making North American Debut at CES 2019

This week at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, production-grade stereolithography 3D printer manufacturer Nexa3D will be displaying its new NXE400 3D printer for the first time in North America. The NXE400 is impressive indeed, with reported print speeds of up to six times faster and 2.5 times the build volume of comparable hardware, making it the fastest large-format 3D printer in the industry.

Water pump housing

Like the other 3D printers in the company’s newest line, the NXE400 leverages Nexa3D’s proprietary Lubricant Sublayer Photo-curing (LSPc) technology and patented structured light matrix, and can continuously print up to 16 liters of parts at high speeds of up to 1Z centimeter a minute. This lowers the production time for prototypes and other functional parts from hours to just minutes, at injection molding levels of tolerance, repeatability, and quality, which also saves on money.

The new, highly accurate NXE400 comes with integrated sensors and cognitive software, which combine to offer continuous print monitoring, optimize part performance, and give detailed diagnostics. In addition, it also comes equipped with tough materials in order to enable ultra-fast 3D printing of production tooling, casting patterns, functional prototyping and end-use parts, and dental restoration.

Speaking of the dental industry, Nexa3D is planning on commercializing its new NXE 3D printer series this year through a multi-channel arrangement with its current partners: 3D printer manufacturer XYZprinting and digital and traditional dental materials provider BEGO. The three-way collaboration will go a long way in transforming the world of digital dentistry, as it will access the demand for expensive digital dentistry printers and industrial production, and the partnership could also end up being a major dental competitor to both EnvisionTEC and 3D Systems.

Various parts and assemblies 3D printed by the NXE400. Electrical assembly, pull handle, GoPro mount, bracket assembly, topology optimized brackets designed by ParaMatters

But the dental industry isn’t the only one that Nexa3D is interested in – the company is also collaborating with Techniplas, a global design and automotive manufacturing provider. Nexa3D joined its open innovation program as a partner a year ago in an effort to expand its presence in the automotive industry, and at this week’s CES show, Techniplas will be showcasing a concept vehicle that features 3D printed parts produced by Nexa3D, along with its growing generative design capabilities.

At CES 2019, Nexa3D will be exhibiting a range of its 3D printers, including the new NXE400, at the Techniplas booth #9320 in the North Hall’s Vehicle Technology zone in the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), and also at the Dynamism booth #32020 in the 3D Printing Marketplace in the LVCC’s South Hall.

Izhar Medalsy, the Chief Product Officer for Nexa3D, said After more than two years of intensive research and development, our team is proud to exhibit the results of our painstaking work at CES 2019 with our significant partners Techniplas and Dynamism, two go-to-market collaborators that are helping us validate the marketplace impact and build access to new products.”

Nexa3D wants to invite all qualified resellers, strategic partners, and industry practitioners to check out its new NXE400 3D printer, priced at $49,950, at CES 2019 this week. If you’re unable to make it out to Las Vegas for the show, you can see the 3D printer in action in the video below:

Discuss this news and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

[Images provided by Nexa3D]

3D Printing News Briefs: December 22, 2018

Starting with fashion news, moving to automotive, and finally on to business, we’ve got a short but interesting 3D Printing News Briefs for you today. An Israeli fashion and shoe designer just introduced a 3D printed collection at a San Francisco museum, while Bugatti just tested out its 3D printed brake caliper. Roboze has three new points of contact for customers in North America, and Titomic has signed its second MoU of the week for metal powders.

3D Printed Fashion Collection on Display 

Ganit Goldstein, an Israeli fashion design student at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem whose work we’ve admired before, recently collaborated with Stratasys on her graduation collection, titled “Between the Layers,” which consists of six pairs of 3D printed shoes and seven 3D printed outfits. The high-end, haute couture collection was inspired by her time in Japan learning a traditional weaving technique called ‘ikat’ at the Tokyo University of the Arts, and all of the pieces were 3D printed on the Objet500 Connex3 Color Multi-material 3D Printer by Stratasys. The 3D printed shoes from Goldstein’s collection were unveiled earlier this week at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum as part of the “Arts of Fashion Foundation” International Student Fashion Competition, of which Goldstein is a finalist.

“Stratasys’ advanced 3D printing technology has opened up endless possibilities for my designs, enabling me to print any design at the voxel level in vibrant colors and a range of materials – all in a single print. This capability to control any voxel for any pattern has enabled me to design without boundaries and to combine 3D printing with traditional weaving techniques to create ultra-realistic shoes. For aspiring designers, the ability to fuse cutting-edge technology with traditional crafts is very exciting, unlocking the freedom to design without limitations of past years,” said Goldstein.

“With the knowledge I’ve gained while working with Stratasys, I’ve come to realize that 3D printing is increasingly becoming an integral part of design thanks to the unique design freedom achievable. For me, the key to good design is to first get an understanding of the traditional design methods and foundations, and then explore how I can enhance the essence of the traditional method with new technology. Not only does 3D printing accelerate the design process and enable reduced production costs, it also affords designers total freedom of design.”

Bugatti Tests 3D Printed Brake Caliper

Last year, super car manufacturer Bugatti revealed that it had created the world’s first 3D printed titanium brake caliper, which was also the largest brake caliper in the automotive industry, as well as the world’s largest 3D printed titanium pressure functional component ever produced. Bugatti worked with Laser Zentrum Nord, part of the Fraunhofer research organization, to develop the caliper, and vehicle trials for the part in series production were expected to start in early 2018.

Earlier this week, the Volkswagen Group posted a YouTube video showing an impressive test run of the 3D printed titanium brake caliper developed by Bugatti. See it for yourself below:

Roboze Announces Three New Customer Points of Contact

Italian 3D printer manufacturer Roboze is continuing its expansion, and this week announced  the names of its three new points of contact for its customers in the US, Canada, and Colombia, which will help it create direct channels in the North American market. This news comes right after the company announced that it had closed its first funding round of €3 million to further develop its R&D department and continue its EMEA and USA market expansion.

Its first new partner is ImageNet Consulting, based in Oklahoma City with a total of 18 US offices. The company chose to work with Roboze because of its high quality 3D printed parts and ability to use flame retardant materials. Ontario consulting company TM3 is working with Roboze because it provides the best opportunity for its customers to use a true industrial platform. Based in Medellin, Colombia, i3D is an expert in FDM technology and was impressed with the high quality of parts that were exhibited by Roboze at RAPID 2018.

Titomic Signs MoU with Sino-Euro

L-R: Sino-Euro’s Cristina Cao and S.J. Liang, Titomic’s Jeff Lang and Vahram Papyran, and Sino-Euro’s Alex Zhao

The day after announcing its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China’s Lasting Titanium, Australia metal 3D printing company Titomic announced that it had also signed an MoU with Sino-Euro Materials Technologies of Xi’An Co. Ltd, a Chinese company that specializes in producing spherical powder for the plasma rotating electrode process (PREP). According to the terms of the MoU, which is effective immediately, Sino-Euro will be appointed as Titomic’s Chinese sales distributor and customer support for its Kinetic Fusion systems. It will also provide Titomic with an exclusive supply of its aerospace grade titanium PREP process powders, and develop new metal powder for the Titomic Kinetic Fusion systems.

“We chose to execute this MoU with Sino-Euro for supply of their high-quality Aerospace grade PREP titanium powders aligned with their 50+ years of material science research in titanium and super alloys,” said Jeff Lang, Titomic’s Managing Director.

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3D Printing News Briefs: December 12, 2018

Today’s 3D Printing News Briefs are short and sweet, but still full of important news that’s not to be missed. First, UK-based medical technology firm axial3D is partnering with Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare in order to enhance patient outcomes with 3D printing. Sawing machine manufacturer Kasto has announced that it is supporting the NextGenAM project for industrial 3D printing automation. Finally, Hobs 3D has purchased Canon UK’s 3D printing business.

axial3D Partnering with Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare 

Daniel Crawford, axial3D

Private, not-for-profit community healthcare system Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) is teaming up with UK medical technology firm axial3D to make 3D printed medical models to ensure better patient outcomes in the neurosurgical services. The strategic partnership will use 3D printing to achieve a “transformative approach to pre-surgical care,” according to axial3D, which can now call TMH its only neuroscience industry partner in the US. TMH will also work with other international partners to collate data on the use of 3D printing in neurosurgery, complete case studies and research, and eventually expand to other surgical specialties.

“Our 3D printed models are used extensively by leading surgical centers across Europe and as we continue to develop our presence in the United States, we are excited about the clinical and research potential of this partnership with TMH. Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare offers a leading neurosurgery program and by utilizing 3D printing, it is expanding its already high standards and providing a better experience for its patients and clinical team,” said Daniel Crawford, the Founder and CEO of axial3D.

Kasto Joins NextGenAm Project

The KASTOwin amc bandsaw

Last year, the NextGenAM collaborative project was launched by Premium AEROTEC, EOS, and Daimler AG. NextGenAM is dedicated to developing and implementing next generation industrial 3D printing technology in order to cut costs and optimize workflows, and now sawing machine manufacturer Kasto has announced that it is supporting the project. The overall project aim is to develop a complete system to produce aluminum components for both the aerospace and automotive industries, and Kasto can definitely offer some assistance with this.

The automatic, fully enclosed KASTOwin amc sawing technology was specifically designed to separate 3D printed components from the build platform by inverting them and sawing horizontally, so they fall into a container below. Its cutting range is 400 x 400 mm, with an infinitely adjustable electromechanical servo motor blade feed and an optional extraction system. The other NextGenAM project partners were impressed with the saw’s ability to efficiently perform component separation, and one is now being used at the Technology Centre in Varel (TZV), where its automated pilot plant for industrial 3D printing, post-processing, and quality assurance was recently commissioned.

Canon UK’s 3D Printing Business Purchased by Hobs 3D

Three years ago, Canon Europe announced a distribution agreement with 3D Systems to market, support, and sell the company’s 3D printers in the UK and Ireland – marking its official entrance into the UK 3D printing scene. Canon UK has now been reselling professional 3D printers and offering service support and consumables to many clients across the UK for the last few years. But this week, Hobs 3D, which provide 3D printing bureau services, has announced that it has purchased the assets relating to Canon UK’s 3D printing business.

“Canon remains committed to pursuing all the growth opportunities we have within our Industrial & Production Solutions business. To ensure that each of our customers receives the best experience for managing their 3D printing operation going forward, we chose to work with leading company Hobs 3D,” said Dominic Fahy, the Head of AEC and Manufacturing for Canon UK. “We are happy that our customers are in excellent hands given the company’s long relationship with Canon and proven ability to deliver a high standard of service. We look forward to a continued strong partnership with Hobs 3D.”

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3D Printing News Briefs: November 28, 2018

We’re starting with some business news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, and then moving on to an award. A British company is the first automotive consumer retail brand built entirely around 3D printing, which is a pretty big deal. Oerlikon has a new online instant quoting and tracking tool, while MakePrintable has released some new updates and Additive Industries is launching a new center in Singapore. Finally, the SMS Group has won a prestigious award.

First Automotive Consumer Retail Brand Built Around 3D Printing

Leeds-based digital manufacturing company Carbon Performance uses 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and blockchain to design and fabricate lightweight, next-generation automotive components that are environmentally sustainable. Recently, the company designed an suspension upright for a Lotus Elise sports car that was 3D printed in aluminum. The part, with an organic design, ended up being 25% more lightweight and was consolidated from a total of nine parts into just one.

But what really sets Carbon Performance apart is that it packages up its 3D printed automotive components and retails them to end customers, which technically makes the company the first automotive consumer retail brand in the world that’s built entirely around 3D printing. Take a look at its short promo video below:

Oerlikon Offering New Online Tool

Swiss technology and engineering group Oerlikon is now offering a new online tool to help its customers save time with their on-demand manufacturing and rapid prototyping needs. The company is offering an online instant quoting and tracking tool that’s capable of handling a large variety of metal and polymer part needs.

The tool is easy to use – just upload your CAD file and prepare your part for 3D printing by choosing from available options. Then, Oerlikon will 3D print your part, and you can track the order until it’s sent quickly right to your door. The company is even offering a discount for the first order you place in its new service through December 31st, 2018. Simply enter the promo code AMFIRST in the Oerlikon AM online quoting tool to take advantage of the deal.

MakePrintable Releases New Updates

Speaking of tools, the MakePrintable service launched by San Francisco startup Mixed Dimensions back in 2014 has just released a few major updates. It already offers such services as easy, automated 3D file fixing and better user efficiency in 3D printing, and is now rolling out its latest – a pay per download service and a full color 3D printing service. The first lets customers repair files, then pay if they’re pleased with the quality, without having to purchase a subscription, while the latter service is able to produce “unmatched quality prints at competitive pricing compared to others in the industry.”

“When we designed our printing service we focused heavily on all pillars (quality, speed and cost) as we know how much expensive and problematic it is to get quality prints and even to get past most 3D printing services checkout process,” Baha Abunojaim, Co-Founder and CTO of Mixed Dimensions, told 3DPrint.com. “At MakePrintable we guarantee our users a smooth and fast experience with a competitive pricing point while also leveling up the quality thanks to our years of research and robust file preparation technology.”

Additive Industries Announces New Center in Singapore

After an official State Visit from Mdm Halimah Yacob, the President of the Republic of Singapore, to its Eindhoven headquarters, Additive Industries announced that it would be building a Process & Application Development (PAD) Center in Singapore. The company plans to build its newly launched PAD Center up into a regional Asia Pacific hub for customer support and local development. The PAD Center will also serve as a competence center for the industrialization of metal 3D printing within the company itself, with special market focus on important regional verticals like semiconductor equipment and aerospace applications.

“Singapore is an ideal stepping stone for Additive Industries’ growth ambitions in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Daan Kersten, the CEO of Additive Industries. “It is a natural hub with great infrastructure, it’s an excellent fit with our target markets and the governmental support accelerates our execution.”

3D Printed Spray Header by SMS Group Wins Award

A group of companies that’s internationally active in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the steel and nonferrous metals industry known as the SMS Group just announced that it won the German Design Award 2019, in the Industry category, for its 3D printed spray head for forging plants. This is likely the first time a small machine component like the spray head, which is used to cool dies in forging presses, has won one of these awards, so it’s a pretty big deal. The 3D printed spray head is the result of a joint effort between the group’s Forging Plants Department, Additive Manufacturing Project Team, and simulation technology experts. While it is a small component, it’s certainly mighty – it was designed to fulfill its function in the most efficient way possible. 3D printing helped to make the spray head smaller, less expensive, easily customizable, and made it possible to add flow optimized channels for cooling die heads.

“Winning the Design Award makes us extremely proud. It is recognition of many teams within SMS group whose work is characterized by a highly interdisciplinary approach,” said Axel Roßbach, Research and Development Extrusion and Forging Presses with the SMS group GmbH. “The spray head is a milestone innovation marking a new era in the design of plant and machine components, enabled by the game-changing potential of 3D printing and function-optimized design. The design of a machine part is today no longer limited by the constraints imposed by conventional – process-optimized – forming and machining techniques. Supported by latest software and computer technology, we can now give a component exactly the design that fulfils its designated function in the best possible way. Another important aspect is that we have used new materials. Therefore the Award honors not only a new design, but above all the new way of thinking lived within SMS group, which has materialized in a global approach to Additive Manufacturing.”

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Results of Daimler and BMW AutoAdd Project Show that 3D Printing for Mass Production in Automotive Industry is Possible

[Image: Fraunhofer ILT]

Within the framework of the “Photonic Process Chains” funding initiative by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), several partners – two research institutes and five companies, to be exact – are focusing on 3D printing in the automotive industry. The “Integration of Additive Manufacturing Processes in Automobile Series Production – AutoAdd” research project is coordinated by Daimler AG, and its findings show that by holistically integrating the metallic laser powder bed fusion process (LPBF), also known as SLM and DMLS, developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) into automotive series production, unit costs can go way down.

The BMBF has been working on several projects in order to promote the intelligent linking of photon-based manufacturing processes, like metal 3D printing, as a means to produce complex or individualized products. Its aim is to create flexible, conceptual hybrid manufacturing designs, which can then be used for production purposes. But, out of all 14 joint projects in the funding initiative, which began in 2015 and ended in May, AutoAdd should make it easier to use 3D printing in the automotive industry within just three years.

In addition to Fraunhofer ILT and Daimler, the AutoAdd project partners include:

  • BMW
  • GKN Sinter Metals Engineering GmbH
  • Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
  • Netfabb GmbH
  • TRUMPF Laser- und Systemtechnik GmbH

[Image: TRUMPF]

These partners are working to lower unit costs by integrating the LPBF process chain into the automotive mass production environment, in order to develop a new hybrid process chain. Daimler and the BMW Group worked together to define the necessary requirements for the new additive process chain, and then Fraunhofer ILT and TRUMPF used the chain to create a variety of plant and finishing conceptual designs for 3D printing.

In addition to a modular system architecture that allows for the use of an “interchangeable cylinder principle” and multiple beam sources, potentially production-ready optical designs were created. The AutoAdd partners also analyzed GKN’s novel scalable materials, as well as created some promising post-processing concepts that could be automated, such as support structure removal.

KIT was the partner which ended up evaluating these new factory designs.

According to a Fraunhofer ILT press release, “Using a simulation model, the engineers of the wbk Institute for Production Science visualized an exemplary, conventional process chain, in which they were able to design various possible LPBF plant concepts. With methods such as cost or benchmark analyzes, they were able to compare the new approaches from a technical and economic point of view with previous ones.”

Long-term recording of the contour exposure during 3D printing of a grinding wheel. [Image: MTU Aero Engines AG]

There were several positive effects stemming from the €3.37 million project, at least in terms of academics. There was enough useful content from AutoAdd to fuel four separate dissertations, and this knowledge can also be used for lectures in the future. Next year, a new project, partially based on the AutoAdd results, will launch that’s focused on line-integration of 3D printing to “implement the designed additive process chain.”

The joint project results are interesting and impressive, showing that it is indeed possible to achieve additive mass manufacturing. For instance, the whole process chain can be automated, making it more efficient and cost-effective, as the team discovered that modular cylinders and wet-chemical immersion baths are effective ways to remove, batchwise, components during post-processing. In addition, common metrics for evaluating LPBF manufacturing equipment were developed by the AutoAdd project partners, which can be used to identify popular equipment manufacturers for a large-scale benchmarking exercise.

“By using standardized benchmark jobs with different test specimens, industrial users can now calculate transferable key figures with which they will be able to find the most economical system for their purposes,” the press release noted.

One of the most, if not the most, important points the AutoAdd team needed in order to make 3D printing ready for series production was the ability to reproduce mechanical properties. The partners took an important fundamental step by demonstrating and evaluating this feature in multiple facilities – showing that it is possible to integrate an economic additive process chain in automotive mass production.

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BMW Surpasses One Million 3D Printed Automotive Components

BMW Group has been using 3D printing for more than 25 years, and in the last decade has produced a million parts using the technology. This year alone, the company expects that it will 3D print more than 200,000 components, a 42 percent increase over last year. And BMW Group is just getting started. The company is aggressively pursuing additive manufacturing, intent on staying ahead in an automotive industry that is rapidly embracing the technology.

“The use of components made by additive manufacturing in series production of vehicles is increasing particularly strongly at the moment,” said Dr. Jens Ertel, Director of the BMW Group Additive Manufacturing Center. “We are following the development and application of advanced these manufacturing methods very closely indeed, partly through longstanding cooperations with leading manufacturers in the field. At the same time, we are engaging in targeted technology scouting and evaluating innovative production systems.”

BMW Group’s millionth 3D printed component came recently in the form of a 3D printed window guide rail for the BMW i8 Roadster. It took only five days to develop and was quickly integrated into series production. The guide rail, which is located in the door of the Roadster, allows the window to operate smoothly. It was manufactured using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology, which is now being used in the series production of automobiles for the first time. The technology is capable of producing up to 100 window guide rails in 24 hours. Additionally, BMW uses EOS Selective Laser Sintering and various other technologies for metal and polymers.

The window guide rail isn’t the only 3D printed component in the BMW i8 Roadster – it wasn’t even the first, actually. The first was the fixture for the soft top attachment, which was 3D printed from aluminum alloy. It is both lighter and stiffer than the traditional injection molded plastic component used in its place. This year, the component won an Altair Enlighten Award in the Modules category.

BMW Group began using both plastic and metal back in 2010 for the production of a smaller series of components such as the water pump pulley for DTM vehicles. In 2012, the company began using laser sintering for several components for the Rolls-Royce Phantom. While many automotive companies are using 3D printing in their manufacturing processes, a lot of them are mainly using the technology for tooling purposes. BMW Group has been one of the pioneers in using 3D printing for actual functional car parts.

The company has big plans for 3D printing in the future. Recently it began offering several customization options for the BMW MINI, many of them 3D printed. Last year BMW Group began using 3D printing for the fiber optic guides in the Rolls-Royce Dawn; Rolls-Royce currently has 10 3D printed components in its product line.

It was just earlier this year that BMW Group built a new dedicated Additive Manufacturing Campus, which likely at least partially accounts for the drastic increase in 3D printed parts over the last year. The two 3D printed components in the BMW i8 Roadster were designed and produced at the Additive Manufacturing Center, among many others. BMW Group has long been a leader in 3D printing in the automotive industry, and it clearly intends to hold on to that designation.

 

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[Source: Automobile Magazine]

 

Twikit and BMW Offer Flashy Customization Options for Your Next Car

While many automotive manufacturers have been using 3D printing in their design and manufacturing processes, BMW has been a leader in the field, using the technology for over 25 years. The company has used 3D printing for everything from roof racks to more advanced concepts. There are plenty of reasons for BMW and other automotive manufacturers to turn to 3D printing, like time and cost savings and the ability to produce lightweight, efficient, complex parts, but there are also some benefits of 3D printing that are simply fun, like customization.

BMW’s new MINI can be customized for users in a multitude of different ways, such as 3D printed patterns, pictures, shapes, and letters on the dashboard and glove box. You can even request an LED light that projects your name on the street when you get out of the car, according to BMW. The company is the first to take automotive personalization to this level, and it’s doing so with the help of Twikit, a Belgian company whose software platform emphasizes 3D printed customization possibilities.

BMW MINI customers can design their own customized cars online, and the digital files are sent to the production facility, where they are manufactured using 3D printing, laser cutting and other advanced technologies.

“Twikit technology was a bull’s eye right from the start,” said Twikit Co-Founder Gijs Hoppenbrouwers. “Since its foundation, we have been working with major players in various industries. Innovative players in the medical industry can now use our technology to make prostheses and orthoses on a large scale quickly. Customization for a mass audience is also perfectly possible for jewellery, furniture, windows and doors, electronics, … Companies discover that they can personalize products with modern, high-tech production techniques such as 3D printing and laser cutting, tailored to each individual customer.”

Twikit was founded in 2012 by Hoppenbrouwers, Martijn Joris and George Lieben. The company now has 33 employees and is becoming active worldwide, particularly in Europe and the United States. Besides working with BMW, Twikit also offers its personalized production services for prosthetics and orthotics, jewelry, electronics, windows and doors, and more. The company prides itself on being able to help companies smoothly and seamlessly bring together multiple digital production techniques such as 3D printing, CNC machining and laser cutting.

Will automotive customization catch on? We’ll have to wait and see. Will people value their own personal touches so much that they’ll be willing to pay €119 to have LED lights announce their presence any time they leave their car? Most people will likely still be swayed more by things like advanced safety features and seat warmers, but some certainly will be attracted to such customization offerings, and Hoppenbrouwers believes that many people will – that the future will be personalized.

“More and more products resemble each other, and not only in the automotive sector,” he said. “Allowing customers to personalize products is a way to stand out from the competition. The possibilities are endless. We reconcile production on a large scale with the desire of people to still have a unique product.”

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Ford Recognized for Work with Automotive 3D Printing

3D printed lift assist

Several major automotive manufacturers have been utilizing 3D printing, and Ford is one of them. Recently, the company has been recognized for its work in 3D printing. For the first time, the Automotive Innovation Awards Competition held by the Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) is recognizing additive manufacturing as a separate category, and Ford was the winner of all three finalist spots.

The parts that won Ford the finalist spots include a 3D printed injection mold lifter action used in the new Ranger pickup, a window alignment feature used in the 2017 Mustang convertible, and an assembly lift assist used to make the Escape SUV and Fusion sedan. These aren’t production parts – two are used in assembly and one in a tool, but the technology was still integral in the development and manufacturing of the products.

“We really didn’t understand the potential of what the capabilities of this process were going to be,” said Roy Raymer, Ford’s Product Coordinator for Rapid Manufacturing. “It’s incredible.”

Vent

The mold insert was developed to solve a problem of inadequate venting; the 3D printed insert has integrated venting channels to allow gas to escape. The design features vents along the top and side of each vane, which, Ford says, improves venting by 100 percent. Manufacturing time was reduced by 70 percent, and the integrated design eliminates the need for a separate grill. The mold is made by Hi-Tech Mold and Engineering.

The window alignment fixture is 3D printed using FDM, with 35 percent short carbon fiber reinforced polyamide. It is 30 percent lighter and cheaper to produce than a traditional welded fixture – it took only 50 hours to build the integrated feature with handles and mounting brackets. The 3D printed fixture integrates pneumatic control, eyelets for a stowage rack, trigger switch housing, ergonomic handles, a gage protector deflector, pneumatic tubing retainers and switch mounts.

The lift assist was also 3D printed using FDM, and according to Ford, it can lift anything from a half shaft to an instrument panel. 3D printing the part allowed for more complex geometries to better interface with the casting, and it cost 50 percent less than a traditional fixture. It also reduced weight by 222 pounds, reducing repetitive motion injuries and making it easier to operate overall. The company also greatly reduced lead time.

Window alignment tool

Ford began its 3D printing experimentation with an SLA 3D printer for making complex prototypes, and its work has since evolved to using FDM, SLS and 3D sand printing. Like many other automotive companies, Ford has discovered that 3D printing can save time, money, and material, and allow for the the creation of more complex and unique parts. While the examples above are parts used for tools and assembly, it won’t be surprising if Ford soon moves on to using 3D printing for actual production parts. Other companies, like Divergent 3D for example, are using 3D printing to build cars that are more lightweight and efficient, reducing both cost and environmental impact. As the benefits of 3D printing become more evident, we will likely see more and more manufacturers turn to using the technology for actual production, resulting in a significant change to the entire automotive industry.

The winners of the Automotive Innovation Awards Competition will be announced on November 7th.

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