News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
3D Systems and TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG) are aiming to change the face of automotive engineering through a new collaboration. TMG, a wholly owned subsidiary of TOYOTA Motor Corporation, will work with the 3D printing giant to develop first-to-market manufacturing solutions, including 3D printers, materials and software, with the goal of advancing automotive design and production.
Despite a promising beginning in the mid 2000s, Californian fuel-efficient vehicle company Aptera Motors closed its doors in 2011, failing to deliver more than a prototype of a car that could run 100 miles on a single charge. Today, believers in Aptera Motors’ vision will be happy to learn that the company has risen again and has put forth a concept for a vehicle that can reach 1,000 miles of range on a single charge.
Musashi Seimitsu Industry, a Japanese automotive manufacturing company, has announced a partnership with battery developer KeraCel to develop and bring-to-market 3D printed solid-state batteries for the automotive sector. As a strategic partner, Musashi will support the accelerated development of KeraCel’s additive manufacturing technology for solid-state batteries in order to scale it for high-volume production.
After successfully optimizing its design processes for aircraft and motorcycle engines in collaboration with UK-based metal AM company Renishaw, engine manufacturer Cobra Aero has decided to invest in its own AM 400 3D printer. Prior to the investment, Cobra Aero worked in close collaboration with Renishaw to learn about the company’s metal AM process.
German chemical company Henkel has joined an R&D project called SYMPA in partnership with Rapid Shape GmbH, cirp GmbH and others. The project, which is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF1) and the Federal Ministry Republic of Austria Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT2), aims to develop new materials, printing methodologies and post-processing technologies for stereolithography products. The joint SYMPA project, which launched at the end of 2018, will specifically focus on developing durable SLA parts using DLP processes for the automotive industry.
3D Hubs has produced more than 3,000,000 parts since the company was founded in 2013. Many of these parts were manufactured specifically for automotive applications. The unique nature of 3D printing has made automotive design easier and cheaper than ever before.
After facing a major setback in March, Italian 3D printing company CRP Group and Energica’s 3D printed electric motorcycles made a successful debut in the first round of the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup at the Sachsenring racetrack in Germany.
Volkswagen Group of America’s former Electronics Research Laboratory (ERL) is evolving into the new Innovation and Engineering Center California. The IECC will be the largest Volkswagen vehicle research facility outside Germany (with lots of 3D printers inside of course), and serve as the heart of an expansion of Volkswagen’s North American engineering resources, driving greater innovation in vehicle technologies closer to the US customer base. The event was celebrated by presenting the Type 20, a unique vehicle concept that combines Volkswagen heritage with futuristic technology: in other words, a new, long-awaited, electric, 3D printed hippie van.
As professional racing and motorsports are relying more and more on additive manufacturing technologies, it only makes sense that the trend would also pick up in student-led racing teams. This year, for instance, the Brunel University London team competed in a number of Formula Student (FS) races with a car that was partially constructed using metal 3D printing. The race car, the BR-XX, was developed in collaboration with UK-based metal AM company Renishaw, which helped in the production of a 3D printed manifold part.
There is no question that electric cars are more environmentally sustainable than vehicles that rely on fuel, but within the realm of electric vehicles, there are still things that can be done to improve eco-friendliness, including using electricity from renewable sources to powder the cars.