Volkswagen has announced it is the first automotive manufacturer using the new HP Metal Jet process, which simplifies and speeds up metallic 3-D printing. According to the company, depending on the component, productivity can improve 50 times with this technology compared to other 3-D printing methods, making 3-D printing suitable for mass production in the automotive industry for the first time.
Together with printer manufacturer HP and component manufacturer GKN Powder Metallurgy, Volkswagen is therefore pressing ahead with the development of the technology for mass production.
Dr. Martin Goede, head of technology planning and development for Volkswagen, said, “Automotive production is facing major challenges: our customers are increasingly expecting more personalization options. At the same time, complexity is increasing with the number of new models. That’s why we are relying on state-of-the-art technologies to ensure a smooth and fast production. 3-D printing plays a particularly important role in manufacturing of individual parts.”
A Volkswagen vehicle is manufactured from 6,000 to 8,000 different parts. Previous 3-D printing processes can, however, only be used for the special production of individual parts or prototypes. The additive 3-D Metal Jet technology enables the production of a large number of parts using 3-D printing, without having to develop and manufacture the corresponding tools. As a result, the process now is also being considered for producing large quantities in a short period of time.
In collaboration with HP and GKN, Volkswagen is further developing the technology so that design elements can be printed in a small series at first without a great deal of effort. The goal is to be able to offer individualized design parts—tailgate lettering, special gear knobs, or keys with personalized lettering—to customers as soon as possible.
As early as next year, GKN Powder Metallurgy intends to establish a process chain geared toward automotive production in collaboration with Volkswagen. The first small design components are to be used to further develop the technology so that the first structural components for mass-production vehicles can be printed within two to three years.
“A complete vehicle will probably not be manufactured by a 3-D printer any time soon, but the number and size of parts from the 3-D printer will increase significantly,” explained Goede. “Our goal is to integrate printed structural parts into the next generation of vehicles as quickly as possible. In the long term, we expect a continuous increase in unit numbers, part sizes, and technical requirements—right up to soccer-size parts of over 100,000 units per year.”
The new HP Metal Jet process is an additive process in which parts are produced layer by layer using a powder and binder. The component then is baked into a metallic component in the sintering process. This differs from previous processes in which powder is melted with a laser.
