Introduction: In the past year, the application of 3D printing technology in the automotive industry has made significant progress, and even partial mass production of auto parts has been realized. Although for now, 3D printing of a whole car is still not realized, but 3D printing technology for the entire automotive industry production system, but it shows extraordinary significance, its existence, may be one of the key pillars to support the future automotive revolution. In this issue, Antarctic Bear reviewed the top 10 applications of 3D printing in the automotive industry in 2021.
Porsche launched a 20,000 yuan 3D printed seat with better support and replaceable models delivered
Porsche has gradually given 3D printed fitness sports chairs to the Group's 718, 911 and other car series. At the same time, the car system that has already been delivered at this stage can change the seat, and the support point and seat posture of the chair will be more ergonomic.
Porsche's official website shows that the latest fitness sports chairs are all manufactured by 3D printing, and the middle part of the back can also give three different strength options. Porsche test driver Lars Kern said after feeling the three-dimensional printed seat, "The Australian chair during the whole test process left a deep impression on me, it is more ergonomic, with a slightly lower seat posture, improved thigh root support points, similar to the seat in a sports car." In addition, its natural ventilation is also impressive. ”
The seat costs 2,677.50 euros, or about $3,100, or 20,000 yuan, and takes only a few minutes to install in the Porsche Center. There are currently three color options for 3D printed meshes, namely black, red (Guards Red) and yellow (Racing Yellow), and arctic grey and ultramarine blue (Shark Blue) will be launched in February.
The GM AIC Center installs 24 metal and non-metallic 3D printers for designing automotive prototypes and tools
In March 2021, General Motors (GM) opened AIC, a 15,000-square-foot 3D printing equipment center, that includes 24 metal and non-metallic devices. The Additive Industrialization Center (AIC), dedicated to the production of 3D printing technology within the automotive industry, is considered the "culmination" of GM's increased expertise and investment in the field of 3D printing over the past few years.
As a benchmarking company in the automotive industry, GM has a good grasp of the ability of 3D printing as a prototyping tool, and many of the parts are functional models used in various test environments for pre-production vehicles. Through unremitting efforts, GM has successfully solved the problem of expensive early tools and rapid iteration on a series of parts, and during the development of chevrolet Corvette's brake cooling ducts, the company used additive manufacturing technology to shorten the time by 9 weeks and reduce costs by 60%.
△ 3D printed Cadillac V series HVAC pipes and wiring harness brackets produced by GM Additive Manufacturing Industrialization Center
GM is currently working to advance and expand the range of applications for 3D printing, and they are also producing hand tools, automation components, and quick-response solutions through additive manufacturing that are able to combine designs, reduce part count, and reduce weight. For example, they used the device to 3D print nearly 100 hand tools for the new full-size SUV, and they used nylon carbon fiber composites instead of aluminum, dropping the weight from 30 pounds to just 3 pounds.
With the AIC in service, the company wants to go further in the production of end components on vehicles. At the same time, Cadillac also announced that the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing will become the first production vehicles of GM to adopt 3D printed parts. The components, which include a badge on the manual shift knob, a harness bracket and two HVAC pipes, are produced in a way that reduces costs and increases efficiency. This is an important milestone for GM, which wants to accelerate mass production of 3D printed terminal parts.
Local Motors used 3D printing technology to complete part upgrades for the OLI 2.0 autonomous tram
On December 16, 2021, Antarctic Bear learned that Arizona-based automotive OEMs local motors announced a series of new part upgrades for its 3D printed self-driving electric vehicle Olli 2.0.
Olli 2.0 self-driving car
Following a successful U.S. rollout, Local Motors is currently seeking approval to deploy their self-driving cars in a project in Europe. However, the company found that it needed to assemble a set of windshield wipers due to stricter regulations in the European Union.
Carlo Iacovini, General Manager of Emea Emeas at Local Motors, explains: "Olli is operating on campuses, stadiums, industrial zones and local communities around the world. In order to approve the deployment in Europe, it will require some additional components that are not needed in the US market."
To manufacture critical components, the company's EMEA management sought help from 3D printing service provider CRP Technology in Italy. Leveraging CRP's proprietary Windform composites, the two companies have now designed, 3D printed and integrated a number of additional windshield wiper upgrades to support approval for the European project.
△ Olli2.0's new windshield wiper and 3D printed wiper cover parts. Photo from LocalMotors.
3000 hp 90 million yuan / car, Greek 3D printing supercar CHAOS
Greek automaker Spyros Panopoulos Automobiles (SPA) will launch a 3,000-horsepower "supercar" with a unique 3D printed design concept for a price of more than 90 million yuan.
SPA's upcoming sports car with a 12,000 rpm V10 engine called the Chaos features feather-shaped 3D printed body panels capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in two seconds. At the moment, this powerful sports car has not really been unveiled, but the manufacturer has shown this supercar through a series of CGI pictures .
△ Spyros Panopoulos Automotive Company (SPA) 3D printed Chaos supercar, picture from SPA
In order to achieve the speed target of the supercar, SPA plans to use the "Anadiaplasi" manufacturing process to lightweight some elements of Chaos. For example, the 3,000-horsepower supercar is planned to be equipped with 3D printed four-way exhaust pipes, as well as titanium and magnesium-based brake calipers and rotor hubs.
△ Metal 3D printed brake calipers
△ Metal 3D printed rotor hub
△ Carbon fiber 3D printing car parts
△ Nylon 3D printed car parts
In addition, it is said that 78% of the Chaos Futuristic bodywork is also 3D printed, as are parts of the car's engines, such as engine blocks, pistons, connecting rods, camshafts and intake valves, while lightweight wheels will also be printed from titanium, which is said to be similar to GE Additive's electron beam melting (EBM) technology.
Auto parts manufacturer Divergent purchased three additional SLM NXG XII 600 equipment to accelerate the industrialization of additive manufacturing
SLM Solutions and Divergent have established a joint development relationship since 2017. For the past year and a half, Divergent has been using three NXG XII 600 prototypes at its demonstration site in Los Angeles, which allows them to develop more efficiently while accelerating time to market for parts produced by the equipment. With the addition of the three new devices, Divergent will install a total of six NXG XII 600 devices, and Divergent will also become the company in the United States that will install the most NXG XII 600 equipment. In addition, Divergent has 7 SLM500 devices, 3 SLM280 devices and 1 SLM125 device installed.
Kevin Czinger, Founder and CEO of Divergent and member of SLM Solutions' Supervisory Board, said: "This additional purchase of NXG XII 600 to SLM Solutions brings the close collaboration between the two parties over the years to the culmination of years of close collaboration, not only completing the transition from prototyping to production complex structures, but also enabling SLM devices and Divergent adaptive production systems to work together, which will enable 'human-AI design'. Sustainable development opens up a whole new future. ”
Divergent's initial factory deployment also included a number of complex auto-assembly structures, which will be put into use over the next two years. Divergent will further scale up its advanced facilities that will collectively support Divergent's adaptive production system and promote sustainable production, including outsourcing projects from major automakers, as well as plans to launch the upcoming serial production of the Czinger 21C supercar.
Volkswagen adhesive injection technology will be applied in batches, with an annual output of 100,000 metal 3D printed parts
On June 19, 2021, Volkswagen AG announced that it is using a new 3D printing process called "Binder jetting" at its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, which makes the manufactured parts 50% lighter than those traditionally made of steel plates.
Adhesive jetting replaces the laser used in traditional 3D printing with a two-step method that involves using an adhesive to build parts. Volkswagen says the process allows it to reduce costs and increase productivity, and they are currently the only automakers using the process. Specifically, the first parts manufactured using the Binder jetting process (currently awaiting internal certification) were A-pillar components for the T-Roc convertible. The parts weigh about half as much as traditional manufacturing processes, and Volkswagen says it has tested the crashworthiness of 3D printed parts.
Volkswagen also announced that it has entered into a software partnership with Siemens to strengthen its partnership with HP's existing printers. This allows for more production advantages, nested overlay printing parts, that is, manufacturing multiple parts at the same time in the same print room. Taken together, Volkswagen says, will make 3D printing technology low enough to make it viable in mass-produced vehicles.
△ HP's Metal Jet metal printing system
Ford will mass-produce metal 3D printed auto parts using adhesive injection technology
On August 13, 2021, Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) publicly stated that it will mass-produce a new auto part using metal 3D printing technology over the next two to three years. Harold Sears, ford's head of 3D printing technology, said it will rely on ExOne's (Nasdaq: XONE) metal adhesive injection technology to enable full-scale production of the final part. As the project's mass production process continues to improve, Ford also plans to use this technology in the production of other components.
Ford has long used 3D printing technology, first relying on 3D printing for prototyping, and then becoming an early adopter and development partner for cutting-edge processes such as Carbon's digital photosynthesis. Therefore, it is not surprising that it has become a leader in the use of additive manufacturing (AM) to manufacture metal end parts.
△ Ford uses digital photosynthesis technology to 3D print parts for special vehicles, picture provided by Carbon
Ford said such a plan because of a recent partnership with ExOne to 3D print 6061 aluminum, which has physical properties comparable to die-cast parts. The ability to 3D print and sinter metal in repeatable ways has led Ford to "believe that 3D printing can support the number of cars."
△ ExOne has partnered with Ford to qualify for aluminum adhesive jet 3D printing, with images courtesy of ExOne
Ascension Design introduces 3D printed 2-piece titanium alloy wheels
On September 22, 2021, Antarctic Bear learned that Ascension Design from the domestic design company showed the world's first practical 3D printed 2-piece titanium alloy wheel, according to the person in charge of the company, the wheel has passed the national standard performance test experiment, to meet the performance conditions and requirements on the road, will be delivered to the first batch of customers on the road soon.
It is understood that the wheel hub specifications are 20 inches, the outer ring is made of carbon fiber material, the inner ring is made of titanium alloy overall 3D printing (using a large SLM metal 3D printer with a molding size of up to 600mm), the diameter of the printing part is 500mm, and the weight of a single hub is 10kg, which is 40% less than the weight of the traditional hub, and the overall performance is improved by more than 30%. According to the person in charge, compared with the traditional manufacturing method, 3D printing can realize the customization of the wheel hub, truly meet the customization needs of different customers, and create a cool shape that cannot be achieved by traditional manufacturing methods.
Blackstone in Germany uses 3D printing technology to mass-produce electric vehicle batteries
On December 10, Blackstone Technology, based in D beln, Saxony, Germany, announced that it will use 3D printing technology to produce batteries for electric vehicles from now on. The Swiss company's subsidiary in Germany presented its new plant and first production line through an online launch.
The additive process, called "thick layer technology", enables the production of battery electrodes and separators for lithium-ion batteries using 3D printing technology. According to the company, the manufacturing process has several advantages over traditionally produced lithium-ion batteries: The printing process means that the battery cell layer where electricity is stored is thicker, so the energy density is increased by 20%. The size of the battery can be flexibly adjusted and can be customized according to the needs of customers, such as car companies. 15% less battery space and 20€/kWh of material. At the same time, energy consumption in production was reduced by 23 percent. In addition, the process is based on an environmentally friendly pure water process that reduces production waste by 50%.
Germany is an attractive investment in the field of additive production, with the world's leading industries such as automotive, aviation, rail technology, mechanical engineering and its engineering tradition, providing the best conditions for the production process. This is a real laboratory for industrial additive production worldwide, and the application case of this 3D printed battery also shows that it is worth investing in the future industrial sector in Germany.
Helping the automotive industry complete the digital upgrade, ŠKODA uses 3D printing technology to streamline the automotive production process
On December 15, 2021, Czech automaker Škoda announced that it will continue to use 3D printing technology to produce automotive prototypes, spare parts and tools, thereby streamlining its automotive production operations.
As part of the "Make 3D Printing Factories More Flexible" project, Škoda has built a number of print factories, using systems developed by companies such as Prusa. The company's additive manufacturing program was recently endorsed by the Federation of Industries of the Czech Republic, and the project is now considered one of the five most innovative Industry 4.0 applications in the country over the past year. In addition, Skoda announced its upcoming "FORCE- Factory of the Future" program, which will accelerate the process of digital upgrading in many of its production facilities.
△ The print factory project in Škoda was recognized by the Federation of Industries of the Czech Republic. Photo from Skoda
Because of the complexity of developing a new car, automakers often spend years developing a new model. This time is mainly used for design, testing, and iterating ideas, which means that rapid prototyping and short lead times are required. Automakers like Skoda can use 3D printers to streamline in-house production, rather than investing in entire production lines or molds just for prototypes of a few small batch parts. In addition to enabling companies to complete new designs in less time, the use of additive manufacturing can also result in significant cost savings as third-party manufacturers are completely obsolete.
Of course, the use case for 3D printing also extends to manufacturing tools, where fixtures can be produced within hours to aid the operation of the assembly line. 3D printing has potential applications even when it comes to aftermarket spare parts. Additive manufacturing is especially convenient when dealing with parts that were previously traditionally manufactured but are now obsolete, as the sourcing of parts can become a real pain point. By printing these parts on demand, companies can ensure faster lead times while reducing reliance on huge physical parts inventories.
summary
Looking at the application of 3D printing technology in the automotive industry in 2021, it can be found that in addition to further deepening the use of prototyping, lightweight, complex end-use parts and tooling fixtures, the breakthroughs made by 3D printing in battery production and new energy vehicles are really eye-catching. There is reason to believe that with the current carbon neutrality, carbon peaking and the "east wind" of the development of new energy vehicles, 3D printed electric vehicle batteries are bound to show a stronger momentum in the future. However, we can also see that the domestic research on the application of 3D printing batteries is lackluster, indicating that China's automakers still need to continue to exert efforts in this regard and strive to launch products that can be beaten as soon as possible to occupy the market.
It is undeniable that 3D printing technology is applied to the automotive industry, in addition to greatly reducing the cost of the automobile development process and the manufacturing process, it can also improve work efficiency and reduce the development time of new models and new parts. Eventually, these will be reflected in the price and quality of the car, the quality is better, the technology is more perfect, the price is cheaper the car will appear because of the popularity of 3D printing technology. Perhaps in the near future, 3D printing can also be achieved by directly producing high-volume production cars, but this also requires further breakthroughs in 3D printing technology, 3D printing materials, and 3D printing speed, we will wait and see.
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