Automaker Bentley doubles its 3D printing capacity

Automaker Bentley uses 3D to help customize vehicles.

Bentley Motors invested $4 million to enhance its additive manufacturing capacity at the company’s headquarters in Crewe, England, where all Bentleys are built. The AM facility produced more than 15,000 components in 2021.

The automaker also has employed AM to create physical components for several prototype Bentleys, including full-scale powertrain models and aerodynamic wind-tunnel models, as well as face shields for the healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.

3D printing helps speed product development by allowing Bentley to produce a profusion of parts in-house instead of outsourcing the work. It is part of the company’s Beyond100 sustainability strategy.

The facility’s state-of-the-art AM equipment reportedly cuts 50% from the cost of making parts. The equipment operates 24/7, and the facility can produce thousands of components from more than 25 different materials. Bentley employees throughout the company are now being offered training in AM to understand how they can benefit from using the technology in their work.

Bentley board member Peter Bosch said, “The facility is quickly becoming a cornerstone of our ‘Dream Factory’ ambitions. One of the key benefits is that it is efficiency-led, cutting down on the cost and complexity of a myriad of jobs.”

Additive manufacturing equipment at Bentley’s facility in Crewe, England.