News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
The new Lamborghini Sián Roadster has just been unveiled and it looks gorgeous as usual while presenting several new technologies, including 3D printing for extreme customization. Engineered around Lamborghini’s iconic V12 engine with unique hybrid technologies, this open-top hybrid super sports car is intended to offer an anticipation of automative future.
With 3D printing of electric motor components, a new era of efficiency is now underway for electric motors. The focus is on copper windings, the main component of every electric motor. German firm Additive Drives is at the forefront of this innovation.
German automotive manufacturer Porsche is taking its use of 3D printing to new places with ...
Superstrata, a Silicon Valley-based bicycle brand linked with composite AM service provider Arevo, just unveiled its flagship product: the world’s first made-to-measure 3D-printed e-bicycle with an impact-resistant unibody carbon fiber frame.
Motorsports, and Formula 1 in particular, is considered one of the driving segments for AM adoption. But one thing is the ability to rapidly produce lighter AM car parts and an entirely different thing, especially in F1, is the ability to actually use them. That’s because the regulations for additive manufacturing in Formula 1 are very (very) strict and sometimes block AM materials and applications.
LEHVOSS North America, a provider of thermoplastic 3D printing materials, has signed a formal agreement with Forward Engineering North America (FENA), a Michigan-based division of global engineering and consulting firm Forward Engineering GmbH that is focused on the use of fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials for the serial production of automotive structures.
Since significantly expanding its 3D printing capacity – by installing 17 production-grade Stratasys systems – at the end of 2019, automotive giant GM has transformed many of its production lines, leveraging the technology for faster and most efficient tooling and more. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the technology has come particularly in handy, helping the company to transition towards the production of ventilators.
With its propensity for custom, one-off designs, it is no wonder that 3D technologies like scanning and 3D printing have been eagerly adopted by automotive restoration professionals. The technologies have literally given them the tools to bring vintage and rare cars back to their former glory, not just in look, but often also in terms of performance. Whether used to reproduce an obsolete component for a vintage model or to replicate the entire car body, 3D printing is now an intrinsic part of automotive restoration projects. Here are a few of our favorite examples from over the years that demonstrate the many ways 3D printing and 3D technologies can be used to rev up old cars.
Eagle, a British restorer of the Jaguar E-Type car, can achieve the bespoke, low-volume production it needs thanks to a partnership with Graphite Additive Manufacturing Ltd., an England-based 3D printing service. More specifically, Graphite Additive Manufacturing provides Eagle with custom 3D printed parts made using the HP Jet Fusion 4200 system.
A lot of work went into this incredible success for Scuderia AlphaTauri but 3D printing with DSM Somos materials also played a part. Just last month the F1 team reported that it started using Somos PerFORM Reflect AM material to cut production time up to 30 percent, enhancing testing processes and increasing the speed and frequency of aerodynamic improvements. The results are now there for everyone to see after Sunday’s incredible victory by Pierre Gasly. And someone should be taking notes.