Automakers like Rivian and Ford are ‘democratizing 3D printing’ to reduce costs and increase speed

Summary

• Automakers including Ford Motor and Rivian Automotive are adopting 3D printing to reduce costs & increase speed across vehicle parts, assembly tools, & R&D units.
• Rivian has invested over $5 million in 3D-printing machines with annual material costs reaching $1.7 million.
• Rivian reports that its 3D-printing equipment typically pays for itself within a year by lowering supplier tooling costs, streamlining logistics, & cutting production times from weeks to hours.
• Rivian is expanding operations by adding machines capable of building flexible silicone parts & installing a printing bay at its Normal, Illinois, plant for on-demand part creation.
• Rivian utilizes the technology for electric-motor fluid testing models, screw guides, stamping press inserts, & trim pieces to fill gaps in early builds.
• Ford operates additive manufacturing departments at many plants & introduced a vending machine for 3D-printed parts at its Dearborn, Michigan, headquarters to support F-150 production.
• Ford's mechanical engineer Gregory Foresi used roughly two dozen machines to print thousands of tools, including torque bit sockets, hood jackers, & hand tools designed by employees.
• Ford employees can request specific parts or tools via an app, with machining times ranging from hours to days.
• Ford used 3D-printed parts to maintain assembly line production when a large machining wheel was needed before a permanent supplier replacement arrived.
• Ford expects to deploy 3D labs at more than 23 plants by the end of the year, currently operating a program with over 200 machines.
• General Motors uses 3D-printed parts for low-volume products, R&D, & inside plants, recently expanding its use of industrial Stratasys printers.
• GM incorporates 135 3D-printed components into the Cadillac Celestiq & uses unique printed parts for the Cadillac Blackwing sedans, including a medallion on the manual shifter knob.
• Stratasys senior global director Fadi Abro notes that GM has successfully standardized & scaled 3D printing as material properties & use cases have improved.