3D printing has captured the imagination of a range of industries worldwide. Also known as additive manufacturing, 3D printing has been rightly termed one of the most defining technologies of our time. Contrary to traditional manufacturing technologies, it is a method that can build 3D objects of almost any sort in layers. To accomplish this, the technology leverages computer-aided design (CAD) and a wide range of materials, such as metal, plastic, concrete, or paper.
The versatility it brings for manufacturers working globally to cost and time-optimize their production flows makes it a prime candidate for exponential adoption shortly. According to estimates, the global size of the 3D printing products and services market could grow from US$12.6 billion in 2020 to US$37.2 billion in 2026. By 2030, the number of additive manufacturing and 3D printing devices worldwide could reach 2.8 million.
Such strong growth would make 3D printing practically ubiquitous. Therefore, everyone is asking: Can 3D printing become suitable for the auto sector, an industry where manufacturing precision is immensely valued and cherished? To put it more directly, is it possible to 3D-print cars? We will discuss the possibilities in the segments to come.
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Tohoku University’s Breakthrough in Multi-Material 3D Printing Technique
The University’s Institute for Materials Research and New Industry Creation Hatchery Center achieved something cutting-edge. The researchers demonstrated the process for creating a lightweight yet durable automobile part through a multi-material 3D printing technique.
Source: Tohuku University
Here, we need to look into the phenomenon of multi-material 3D printing techniques more closely. Multi-material structures, as the name suggests, strategically combine different materials for optimal performance of a component. More importantly, they can be created through 3D printing.
While explaining the emergence of this technique, Associate Professor Kenta Yamanaka of Tohoku University had the following to say:
“Multi-materials are a hot topic in the field of additive manufacturing due to its process flexibility.”
However, he also mentioned the limitations the technology comes with. According to him:
“For certain metal combinations, such as steel and aluminum, brittle intermetallic compounds can be formed at the dissimilar metal interfaces. So, while the material is now lighter, it ends up being more brittle.”
The most relevant aspect of this research was that the scientists tried to solve this bottleneck by producing a steel-aluminum alloy that – despite being lightweight – did not compromise on strength.
The objective was achieved by using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), one of the primary metal 3D printing technologies that employs a laser to selectively melt metal powders. The researchers found that increasing the scan speed of the laser could significantly suppress the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds (such as Al5Fe2 and Al13Fe4). They proposed that this higher scanning speed could lead to something called non-equilibrium solidification, which minimized solute partitioning that resulted in weak points in the material. The ultimate outcome was in the form of a product that had strong bonding interfaces.
In elaborating on the value of understanding this in-situ alloying mechanism, specially appointed Assistant Professor Seungkyun Yim, Tohoku University, said:
“In other words, you can’t just slap two metals together and expect them to stick without a plan.”
While the findings of the Tohoku University researchers might sound technical and high-flying, they have great implications in the applied field of automobile manufacturing. In summary, the researchers could prototype the world’s first full-scale automotive multi-material component (suspension tower) with a tailored geometry. Going ahead, the findings would potentially impact other metal combinations where similar issues with bonding need improvement.
While this research opens up new horizons for the automobile industry, the use of 3D printing in this area is not new.
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3d Printing For Faster Prototype And Re-Designed Components Or Parts
Industry experts say that 3D printing has already been used to expedite prototype creation, redesign selected parts and components, and even substitute them. But with time, the use of 3D printing has moved beyond its initial realm to venture into manufacturing prototypes and producing low-volume, customized 3D-printed trim pieces in some current vehicles.
According to Robert Wilig, executive director, CEO, SME, formerly Society of Manufacturing Engineers:
“As the auto industry is moving towards more of a lightweight focused hybrid or even electrified vehicle platforms, additive manufacturing plays into that so well because it allows really efficient ways of creating efficient designs.”
Instead of three parts, which might have been the requirement earlier, 3D printing now makes it possible to optimize the design into a single piece, placing material only where needed to make it lighter, stronger, and more flexible.
According to Dallas Martin, additive manufacturing engineer at Toyota Motor North America:
“Integration of 3D printing in tooling and jigs manufacturing has enhanced production line efficiency and flexibility.”
A review of the research done in this field so far suggests that 3D printing could revolutionize the automotive industry by making designs more flexible, prototyping more rapid, and waste reduction more efficient. This could be achieved by keeping production lightweight. The researchers cited these reasons as drivers behind automakers’ increasing investment in AM techniques.
While we will explore a few pioneering companies active in this field in the coming segments, researchers have noted more opportunities for AM in sustainable and green solutions, particularly in advancing battery systems and electric cars. 3D printing could prove useful in generating heat-resistant battery fixtures that improve heat dissipation and battery cooling. It is also seen as a promising solution for manufacturing solid-state lithium batteries.
In the coming segments, we will look into use cases where well-known automotive manufacturers are developing effective solutions.
1. Toyota (TM +1.28%)
In July 2024, reports came out of Toyota introducing Hyper-F concept cars with 3D-printed parts. A veteran in this field, Toyota, through TCD Asia (Toyota Customizing & Development)— already involved in producing vehicle accessories for various Toyota models—unveiled a high-performance SUV concept featuring 3D printed parts and cutting-edge materials. This was only possible through collaborations with the Japanese companies Mitsui Chemicals and ARRK Corporation.
Reports suggest that Toyota’s Hyper-F concept car is based on the Toyota Fortuner, developed by TCD Asia. Leveraging Mitsui Chemicals’ advanced technical expertise, Toyota used 3D printing with pellets to produce parts from plastic granules at low cost, reducing development times and investment costs.
The company claimed these 3D-printed parts to be particularly stable and ready to be printed to form large-format parts. For the Toyota Hyper-F concept car, 3D-printed components adorn the panels of the hood air ducts.
Prior to this, Toyota had also been reported to have collaborated with Solize, a partner in global product development engineering and a provider of engineering services, to print 3D spare car components on demand. More specifically, Toyota used multi-jet fusion 3D printing to create stock parts before selling them alongside traditionally produced spares. Another global tech giant, HP, supplied the printers to Toyota.
While speaking about the automobile industry’s interest in leveraging 3D printing, Nobuki Okado, MD of HP Japan, said:
“Every day, we are seeing growing traction and more mature 3D printed applications across many different industries globally, especially in automotive. Leading automakers like the Toyota Motor Corporation are showcasing the power of 3D printing for flexible design, speed to market, and sustainable impact.”
Apart from HP, Toyota has leveraged several other companies’ solutions to finetune and improve upon their 3D automotive offerings. For instance, the company has worked with Materialise to develop an ultra-lightweight 3D-printed car seat. It has invested in the technology’s R&D by co-developing Somos Taurus alongside DSM, a material said to be ideal for automotive applications for its super effective 95°C heat deflection temperature. The company has had the 3D printing wing named after it at the University of Waterloo.
Toyota Motor Corporation (TM +1.28%)
In May 2024, Toyota Motor Corporation published its FY 2024 report for the period April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024. The company registered sales revenue of 45,095,325 million yen and operating income of 5,352,934 million yen.
2. General Motors (GM +1.45%)
In 2022, perhaps the most well-known automotive player in the world reportedly went beyond prototypes and low-volume parts in its use of 3D printing or additive manufacturing. The largest automaker in the United States prints custom tools for plant operators, making their jobs safer and more productive.
The tryst of General Motors with 3D printing dates back to 1989 when it installed an early 3D printer, a stereolithography machine with the serial number “3,” in 1989 in the Warren (Michigan) Tech Center campus near Detroit.
According to Ali Shabbir, engineering group manager at GM for industrializing additive manufacturing:
“As the technology, the material strengths, the availability of metals began to really start to hit its stride, the executives said, ‘You know what, this is something that we really need to pay attention to, so let’s put a small team on this to really explore what could be done.’”
In 2019, GM opened its Additive Innovation Lab (AIL), a 4,000 sq. ft. facility in Cole Engineering Center in the Global Technical Center.
According to Ali Shabbir, this lab was the crown jewel of GM’s additive education program. It was a DIY maker space and learning center where employees could learn how to design and set up additive builds and post-process parts.
Among the many examples of GM successfully deploying 3D printing or additive manufacturing in the auto industry, a few stand out. For instance, in 2020, the company 3D printed 75% of the parts for its nonoperational prototype (not the production vehicle) of the first 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette, allowing engineers to study the final assembly process and identify production challenges.
In that year, the company produced racing season additive parts for the Corvette C8.R, INDYCAR, NASCAR Camaro, and Silverado race teams.
In 2021, through its partnership with GKN Additive Forecast 3D, the company 3D printed 60,000 flexible “spoiler closeout seals“ to complete 30,000 Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs in five weeks. The traditional mode of production – injection molding – could have taken a lot longer, as long as 10 weeks.
GM also incorporated 3D printed parts, including two HVAC ducts and an electrical harness holder, into Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing vehicles. In October 2022, it announced the most ambitious yet: the $300,000 Cadillac CELESTIQ EV, which would extensively use metal additive manufacturing for made-to-order customizations.
General Motors Company (GM +1.45%)
According to its annual report for the Fiscal year that ended on December 31, 2023, GM reported revenue of $171.8 billion, net income attributable to stockholders of $10.1 billion, and EBIT-adjusted of $12.4 billion.
3. Daimler Truck
Daimler Truck Holding AG is one of the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers. With over 40 production sites worldwide and more than 100,000 employees, it offers light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks, city and intercity buses, coaches, and bus chassis.
The company claims to have benefited immensely from its innovative 3D printing technology. Its nearly 30 years of experience in 3D printing prototype construction has now been transferred to series production with high-quality standards. Using 3D printing, Daimler’s bus division can quickly, flexibly, economically, and environmentally react to urgent customer requirements, including the production of special components such as covers, handles, and a diverse range of individual brackets.
Daimler’s “Centre of Competence for 3D Printing“ started examining over 300,000 current bus spare parts in detail as to their suitability as 3D printed parts in 2019. The company has a full-fledged Additive Manufacturing Solutions wing now that has led to up to 80% reduction in procurement time, identified over 7,000 potential 3D print components, and has come up with a portfolio of over 400 approved spare parts that could be 3D printed.
According to Ralf Anderhofstadt, the Head of the Center of Competence for Additive Manufacturing, Printing Shop & Media at Daimler Buses, the activities of the company in the field of additive manufacturing, the “immense potential of the technology along the entire value chain has become evident step by step.“ As Ralf sees it, the opportunities for Daimler’s business, as well as for its customers, range from savings potential to new business models.
In 2023, Daimler Truck reported a revenue of 55,890 million Euros, a significant increase from its 2022 figure of 50,945 million Euros.
The Future Outlook
The opinion is still divided on whether 3D printing will completely take over car manufacturing in the future. According to Robert Willig, executive director, CEO, SME, formerly Society of Manufacturing Engineers, there might not be a ‘gigantic factory with anything but printers.’
However, according to Luke Czinger, the co-founder and COO of Divergent Technologies, is currently working with six automakers, including Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin, Bugatti, and McLaren, 3D printing, mainly suspension and bracing components, attributes of 3D printed materials can improve the performance of electric vehicles.
“The EV story is compelling for range. If you can save 20% to 30% of mass on your chassis structure, you can either increase range or you can decrease pack size. Typically for these lower cost EVs at least that is really meaningful for the profitability of that business. Then, you also have the sustainability piece. If you’re making a lighter weight vehicle, you’re going to have less tire wear, but you’re also going to actually use less aluminum, less CO2 in the manufacturing process.”
– Czinger
Researchers believe the strength of 3D printing in manufacturing cars is that it can eliminate the use of excess material and, therefore, unnecessary waste, as well as the need for long transport routes and storage areas, largely reducing environmental impacts.
Summarily, it is a promising sustainable manufacturing method. However, it would have to take care of a few bottlenecks to become really successful. For instance, it would have to have a good grip over the control of product quality. It would have to eliminate the requirement of excessive post-processing, improve the product volume, and take care of the lack of standards.
For the successful application of 3D printing in the automobile industry, standardized processes and materials are required. The lack of universal standards could hamper the interoperability between different 3D printers and software, making it difficult to achieve the same performance even under identical process parameters.
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