News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Reuters, one the leading news agencies in the world, is reporting that General Motors is working with Autodesk to manufacture new, lightweight 3D printed parts that could help the automaker meet its goals to add alternative-fuel vehicles to its product lineup.
While 3D printing has now been around for over thirty years, and some 3D printing designers have been exploring the technology since then, until recently, there was no clear-cut approach to fully exploiting the technology’s potential for near-limitless geometries. The recent rise in the adoption of the acronym DfAM (Design for Additive Manufacturing) – which collects under its umbrella a plethora of terms such as parametric and generative design, topology optimization, lattice structures and biomimicry – is an indication that these ideas are making their way into the creative collective consciousness.
We’ve covered Sebastiaan Pot and his amazing scale model cars before, however, every new creation – and there are now several – is a new work of art that does not cease to amaze. The same applies for this latest 1:8 scale Aston Martin Vulcan – with the added perk that the car brand’s acronym is the same as that commonly used for additive manufacturing.
Prodways Technologies is in attendance at the Rapid trade show going on in Fort Worth, Texas. For the first time in the United States, the French company will be presenting its full suite of 3D printing solutions designed for the transportation and automotive sectors and the development of new, break-through applications in this area.
Bugatti Automobiles and Siemens are pushing the limits of performance by perfecting a vehicle that is already perfect with the help of the digital twin. With a team of industry-leading technology companies collaborating, Bugatti has innovated the world’s largest functional vehicle aerodynamics control system, consisting of 3D printed bionic titanium components and carbon fiber reinforced tubes for the 1,500 PS Chiron super sports car.
Ford recently purchased two Impossible Objects “Model One” composite 3D printing machines to be used by the company for research and development.
3DXTECH, a US-based leader in high-performance 3D printing filaments, is showing off an insane electric superbike at the upcoming RAPID+TCT show in Fort Worth, Texas. Several parts of the smoking hot ride are clearly 3D printed using the Carbon X composite filament range, which combines high-modulus carbon fiber and premium resins. These filaments are ideal for applications that require superior stiffness, ease of printing, improved dimensional stability, UV-resistance, and lighter weight parts vs. standard structural materials.
Global 3D printer manufacturer Raise3D is upping the stakes of desktop additive manufacturing with the release of its new Pro Series 3D printers. The series, which consists of the Pro2 and Pro2 Plus, is aimed squarely at the manufacturing sector and at Flexible Manufacturing in particular.
After teasing major 3D printing adoption in a successful April Fools, the BMW Group is now set to – really – invest more than €10 million in its new BMW Additive Manufacturing Campus. Located in Oberschleissheim, just north of Munich, the facility will allow the company to continue developing and further expand its expertise in this field of work.
The news is funny and borderline realistic – probably funnier and less realistic than our own April fool’s post – and it’s pretty cool: the good ol’ guys at BMW Motorrad’s PR team announced that the company will be offering BMW Motorrad iParts as an optional equipment item from this summer. This is a 3D printing system which will allow BMW Motorrad dealers and customers to print out spare parts as required on site so as to be able to continue their journey as quickly as possible.