The role of 3D printing in automobile manufacturing

In an era of increasing emphasis on sustainability, automakers need to weigh efficiency, lean manufacturing, production costs, sustainability and flexibility of the design process – factors that are delicately linked and must be properly managed. It is undoubtedly a huge challenge.

As a result, manufacturers seek tools and technologies that can help them balance these factors and produce products that meet quality standards. Additive manufacturing is one of the important ways to help manufacturers achieve this goal and will continue to improve, develop and reshape the automotive manufacturing industry.

1. Use 3D printing to manufacture parts and spare parts

The flexibility and precision of 3D printing allow the production of auto parts on demand. Enterprises do not need to prepare a large inventory of spare parts. In order to eliminate the risk of parts shortages, they only need to maintain a low inventory and improve cost-effectiveness.

And 3D printing can realize complex parts manufacturing, reduce assembly and post-processing, and greatly improve production efficiency.

Volkswagen uses 3D printing technology to produce nozzles for the Tiguan L, manufacturing more than 1,000 of them for the vehicle every year. The component, which previously consisted of two machined and welded parts, is now produced in one piece using 3D printing, eliminating the need for post-processing and reducing costs by 65%.

2. 3D printing manufacturing auxiliary tools

Tooling is another important application of 3D printing technology in the automotive field. The use of CNC machine tools for processing is very time-consuming and expensive; the use of 3D printing to produce fixtures and fixtures can be manufactured on demand, saving time and fully meeting the usage requirements.

In just one year, the Volkswagen factory printed more than 1,000 tooling parts, reducing the required production time by 75% and reducing costs by 80%.

3. 3D printing to manufacture die-casting molds

Although 3D printing has many advantages, in mass production scenarios, there is still a certain gap between efficiency and cost and traditional manufacturing technology. However, 3D printing has brought revolutionary applications to the manufacturing of die-casting molds. It avoids the limitations of cross-drilling in traditional processes, allowing mold designers to design different conformal cooling circuits according to cooling requirements and achieve mold opening in a short time. , improve production capacity.