3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
3D printing technology has led to phenomenal success in the automotive industry, starting from the possibility of rapid prototyping, to the increasingly widespread production of auto parts and ending with the 3D production of almost all cars. Mitsubishi, which has done a serious and profitable job in the use of FDM printing technology in the automotive industry, has recently shown great interest in 3D production.
The use of 3D printing technology in the automotive industry is quite common. In the automotive and automotive spare parts sector, 3D printers are preferred today because they can provide flexible production with lower costs in line with these capabilities. The automotive industry works interdisciplinary with very different components and materials. Considering that, on average, more than 30,000 parts come together in a vehicle to form a vehicle, being able to work with different materials as a production method is an important parameter here.
For example, a vehicle that is in the design phase should be prototyped and produced in the most realistic way and the necessary controls should be made before mass production. Here, 3D printers with FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) technology come into play, and plastic exterior parts such as bumpers, grilles, fenders and the like in complex geometries are produced with ABS material. Since the outer surface of the materials produced from the printers can be easily post-processed, the surfaces that are layered due to the production method can be made smooth and perfect. In this way, even if partial production is made, it is possible to produce parts in unlimited sizes with assembly and post-processing.
A research company’s report on the automotive industry shows that 3D printing is increasingly used in the production of the latest auto parts. Analysts expect the 3D printing market in this industry to generate $ 9 billion in revenue by 2029. The leaders in using 3D printing technology to manufacture the latest auto parts are followed by Volkswagen, followed by BMW and Ford, according to reports.
High performance materials in car manufacturing
One of the most popular and frequently used 3D printing technologies in the automotive industry is FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling). Its advantage is the possibility to use many different materials, whose properties are similar to plastic. With the use of a 3D printer, the required parts and details can be created, which not only allows companies to maintain production continuity, which is very important today, but also becomes independent from external suppliers and facilitates production processes.
