Volkswagen taps Ultimaker for customized tool production using 3-D metal printing

Netherlands-based open-source 3-D printer manufacturer Ultimaker, with U.S. offices in Cambridge, Mass., has announced that Volkswagen Autoeuropa, Portugal, is using its printers to produce a variety of custom tools for auto manufacturing.

With a set of Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker 2+ printers, engineers and line technicians no longer need to rely on external vendors, instead designing and printing gauges, jigs, and fixtures on demand, reducing tool development time by 95 percent and saving more than 90 percent in production costs.

"Since we have integrated … 3-D printing technology into our process, 93 percent of what we previously sourced externally is produced in-house," said Luis Pascoa of Volkswagen Autoeuropa. "In addition to the time and cost savings we realize, the tools we output are more complex and ergonomic—and, ultimately, far more useful in our day-to-day operations because they are tailored to our needs."

The manufacturing plant, which produces 100,000 cars per year and employs 4,000 people, designed and 3-D printed 1,000 parts last year and achieved a 100 percent ROI within two months. The automaker saved $160,000 in 2016 and estimates that savings will increase to $200,000 in 2017.

Using 3-D printing, the automaker can produce tools with complex designs and geometries, such as cavities, undercuts, and overhangs. Making a revision to or enhancing the tool is a matter of tweaking the CAD file and reprinting, giving designers and engineers the ability to iterate on demand.