How 3D Printing Technology Changes Automotive Design?

According to a Harvard study, Americans spend an average of 101 minutes a day driving. If measured in one lifetime, there are 37,735 hours used to drive, and this result is truly alarming. But it is frustrating that the fuel cost that most Americans spend may catch up with the cost of the car itself. The emergence of fully automated driving cars will inevitably affect the results of statistical data. Imagine the additional 4.3 years of productivity that a fully automated car will drive and you will have all the good times in your life. You can also free an extra one or two weeks for holiday.

In addition to economic and practical considerations, the new era of fully automated car driving is leading us forward. With the advent of 3D printing technology, our pace has taken another big step forward. The customization it brings is undoubtedly another great surprise for the industry.

People always like personalized things. We spare no effort to show our unique style, taste and purchasing power. We hired architects to design the house in the way we wanted. We decorate our cubicle in our work. We customize sports shoes online. In our lifetime, we spent thousands of hours on our chariots. Shouldn’t we be? Isn’t our chariot worthy of a personalized customization? Shouldn’t we go into a car store, find a favorite designer, talk about our expectations for cars, and watch him put these expectations into In computer design (CAD) programs, then, a huge 3D printer can produce what we want on the spot?

The 3D print shop and designers believe that we can customize the car at a certain moment. In fact, LocalMotors, a partner of Mouser's "Essence of Autonomy Challenge" project, has been driving innovation in 3D car printing, facing challenges, and will further develop automation. This is a big effort. Typically, a modern car has about 20,000 individual parts that are carefully assembled and each part has a function (in addition there are some who are responsible for supervision and maintenance).

Different car parts are made of different materials and have different shapes and thicknesses, not to mention differences in complexity. There are computers and electronic systems, engines, batteries, etc. Therefore, it is not possible to print out the car simply by pressing a button. In fact, a conventional assembly line can make one hundred cars at a time, and even today's most advanced 3D printers can only print one car in the short term. So, 3D car printing is a great dream.

Many experts claim that in the next 100 years, due to the lack of existing infrastructure, design requirements, and federal safety regulations, it is almost impossible to realize the personalized design of automobiles on a large scale, but there are many seemingly challenging ones. Assumptions. Alder Riley worked in the automotive industry for nearly 10 years. He said: “If you only expect an ordinary mechanical car, then everything can be printed out in 2016. But if you expect to have modern facilities such as air conditioning, power windows, etc. The car, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk can control your car from his mountain view office, which will not be possible until 2025."

Self-remodeling of the car

It is worth noting that the value of the automotive industry can reach 9 trillion US dollars, and the automotive industry has undergone many reforms. Consumers are the key to determining the ups and downs of the industry. And consumers need customization.

"Henry Ford had lost market share when it started in the auto industry because he didn't think it was necessary to customize it," said Marco Perry, an inventor, designer, and engineer in New York. "People only like black. But In the end, GM demonstrated to Ford that users are in need of color."

Despite this, Perry acknowledged that too many choices or open choices would only be confusing and that it would not be possible to make large-scale customizations in order to serve niches like car manufacturing. This is because people do not need to produce large quantities of inventory to reduce production costs. John Kavala, a 3D printing manufacturer, agrees. "This is a matter of scale," he said. "You still need a very large 3D printer to print the bumper." However, with the development of exponential rate technology, this kind of prediction is not ridiculous and even exceeds people's expectations.

For example, we can start with the car body and add it continuously. In theory, manufacturers can develop a controllable CAD system where the user can add the car's chassis but cannot subtract from it. The software can even perform virtual wind tunnel performance tests to determine how increasing the body will affect performance and automatically ensure that bonnets, doors, tank doors, windows, etc. are still available, as well as windshield wipers, side mirrors, sunroofs, etc. Can also be taken into account.

Other experts believe that under certain safety guidelines, reducing production may make more sense, because in lighter 3D printed materials, the reduction of automobiles from 5,000 pounds to 1,500 pounds will create some important safety issues, and these problems have not yet been solved. Completely resolved. Kavala said: "The automotive industry is subject to safety regulations. If consumers are given the ability to change their car designs, they must take corresponding risks."

Materials are another aspect of 3D printing that has changed the design and production of automobiles. The aerospace industry, just as the automotive industry needs long-term reliable components, has begun to change. Kavala pointed out that due to the lower unit production of the aerospace industry, many companies have already innovated on 3D printers. "The aerospace industry places great emphasis on the advantages of 3D printing, especially when designing lighter weight products." He pointed out that airlines only produce dozens of new aircraft each year, while the auto industry needs to produce hundreds of thousands of cars.

“In the past year or two, people's main focus has been on the process of new materials and car printing. Everyone is aware that many of today's materials can be optimized and play a more important role.” Adam Clark, consultant for manufacturing and engineering design services, said.

"From a functional point of view, the material will only be metal and carbon fiber. But as everyone knows, someday, someone will print the car body out of the batter," said Riley. He also pointed out that due to the advantages of weight and strength, aluminum alloy frames may become more common. At present, few automotive models are made of aluminum because they are difficult to use in current technology. At the same time, Clarke pointed out that several major OEM manufacturers have already indicated that they want to use 3D printing components on a regular basis within two to three years, but he also admits that whether the manufacturer is willing to give up the design of the general buyer user is Another thing. He said: "What I can see is the manufacturer's approved design plan."

Breaking the rules of car design

Although some people may feel that the above limits the creativity of 3D printing customization, this is not a bad thing. After all, as many design experts say, few customers really understand what they really want, and many people don't design security and functionality for themselves. "Design work should be left to the designer." Perry said: "Despite the maturity of technology, people will ultimately not expect more choices. They just want their own choice."

Of course, production generations have come into contact with 3D technology very early, but this does not mean that the expectations for road safety and vehicle quality are ingrained. "In the future, many design rules will be broken, but I believe that the analysis tools will be very powerful enough to automatically establish a structure to withstand the applicable conditions," Clarke said. He pointed out that the overall shape and "feel" of the design will meet people's expectations. However, once the machine is sufficiently advanced, and once there is a manufacturing guide, the car manufacturer can adjust the software to print a sports car and a minivan on the same machine. Moreover, in the current automotive software market, custom accessories already have a huge market. As 3D printing improves, you will be able to complete thousands of "custom" parts more efficiently.

So, will car repairs become cheaper? If fully automated cars are as advertised, we certainly don't need too many car repairs, but the answer to this question is "may be." Even today, we can find car dealers to change the headlights, and found that the entire body can be on-site 3D printing, thus reducing the space for storing parts in the warehouse, because 3D printing can eliminate inventory purchase and storage space costs . Aftermarket component suppliers will be able to produce components on demand. Traditional car manufacturers are also increasingly aware of the advantages of 3D printing, which was originally intended to replace tools made from expensive and resource-poor metal materials.

So, what about the future of vehicle procurement? Can we simply drag and drop the virtual reality helmet and sliding parts onto a custom framework until we are satisfied with the final results? This is very likely. It will also allow cars to be produced on demand, rather than waiting for sales after thousands of production. In fact, this is what Tesla did. Before starting the manufacturing process, let the customer pay down the deposit. This will be more sustainable, greener, and more cost-effective.

The automotive industry may also be inspired by companies that manufacture artificial limbs. Most of their products are manufactured through 3D printing. Of course, while potential mechanisms are standardized, many companies are trying to supply customers with personalized prosthetic experiences. Riley said: "The rich will always find ways to spend money, so I'm sure it will be a good thing."