Major vehicle manufacturers are embedding additive manufacturing directly into their facilities to accelerate workflows and replace costly supply chains. Rivian has committed millions of dollars toward dedicated hardware and materials, using the technology to build everything from silicone components to electric-motor testing prototypes. Ford utilizes dedicated additive departments to provide assembly line workers with custom tools on demand. This setup enables floor staff to request designs via a mobile app and retrieve finished items from an on-site vending machine.
Equipment investments can yield rapid returns, with Rivian reporting its printing machine…: Equipment investments can yield rapid returns, with Rivian reporting its printing machinery typically pays for itself within one year.
Assembly line workers can obtain custom-printed tools such as torque bit sockets directly…: Assembly line workers can obtain custom-printed tools such as torque bit sockets directly through an on-site vending machine.
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DETROIT — Automakers including Ford Motor and Rivian Automotive are leaning into a new type of manufacturing line: 3D printing.
Manufacturers say it's helping them reduce costs and increase speed. The technology has been around for decades, but it's becoming more commoditized in the automotive industry, with 3D printers used to create everything from vehicle parts and accessories to tools for assembly plants and testing units for research and development labs.
"At this point, we don't have a choice but to scale up and begin using it through all factions of Rivian," Jared Beck, head of Rivian's additive manufacturing, told CNBC during a tour of the automaker's expansive 3D-printing operations in suburban Detroit. "We're going to be democratizing 3D printing for the entire company."
The benefits of 3D printing
Also known as additive manufacturing, 3D printing can create three-dimensional objects from digital designs by dispensing material layer by layer, much like a traditional printer does with ink on paper. Instead of ink, the machines use a wide variety of materials such as plastics, composites, ceramics and even metals.
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