To date, key challenges have stood in the way of 3D printing becoming a manufacturing tool for the automaker. The first issue is a fundamental one — conventional 3D printing technologies make parts layer-by-layer, slowly crafting one layer at a time, creating parts that aren’t nearly as robust as those stamped or injection molded. While the slow speed of this process is a major drawback, the bigger problem is that the parts produced are not isotropic and not durable enough to be used in production vehicles. In addition, most parts used in vehicles today must withstand temperature extremes from the hottest desert to the coldest Arctic environments and still maintain their integrity. With only a handful of stock materials available for 3D printers, meeting the automaker’s unique demands has not been possible.

Planetary Resources expects that the Arkyd spacecraft will eventually be mass-produced at cost significantly lower than current spacecraft, so weight must be minimized to the greatest extent possible.

Vauxhall set out to introduce a modified process hanger with a new part that would be used to support each vehicle body throughout the production process. This part is a critical piece and had to perfectly fit both the machinery and the auto body to create correct clearances and avoid damage during production.

Selective Laser Melting (SLM), an additive manufacturing technology, can be used for the production of tooling components with conformal cooling channels. ABB OY, Drives and Controls, was able to tremendously reduce the cycle time for a cabling grommet due to a redesign and optimization of a tooling insert. The optimized geometry of the part not only reduces the cycle time but also leads to less scrap parts in production.The aim of the case study of implementing conformal cooling for this insert was to improve the efficiency of the production and to increase the product quality resulting in less defective products.