The manufacturing industry has been evolving ever since the first attempt was made a couple of centuries ago in making castings. The initial focus was not on productivity as the demand was low, but on making the parts stronger to withstand the demanding requirements.
As the craft production process – making everything by hand – was not sufficient, when the demand for products increased, the thinking on mass production came into being. The downside of mass production was low variety, as those involved in the process could not change the process quickly. However, it led to optimising the process, and the lean manufacturing process came into being.
Several years of research on the need to produce on a large scale but customising each part ended up in 3D printing or additive manufacturing. It is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing, where the metal is removed from the block. On the contrary, metal powder is added to make a part in additive manufacturing.
Years of research
Volkswagen has been working on 3D printing for over 25 years. Today, 13 units at the Wolfsburg plant use various 3D printing processes. So far, the OEM has used 3D printing only for prototypes of plastic components such as centre consoles, door cladding, instrument panels and bumpers. Printed metal components include intake manifolds, radiators, brackets and support elements. Over the past 25 years, more than one million components have been produced.
Now, VW is kicking-off the car production process with 3D printed parts. For the first time, the vehicle maker is banking on a new ‘binder jetting’ process to make components at the company’s mother plant in Wolfsburg.
The technology
Over the years, the 3D printing process became popular for several reasons. While achieving the twin objective of mass production and customisation, 3D printing also enabled the users to reduce weight and cost of production, while enhancing the part’s strength, eventually making the whole process economically viable.
As this became an exciting proposition for the automotive industry, which always strives to reduce the weight of the vehicle to enhance fuel efficiency and contain tail-pipe emissions, 3D printing technology caught the fancy of the mobility sector.
In 2014, the Phoenix-based Local Motors showcased a car made entirely of 3D printed parts. Several automobile majors, including BMW, Ford, Volvo, GM and VW have been making 3D printed parts for quite some time. However, as the demand for reduced time to market, cost and environmentally safer products increase, vehicle makers have sharpened their focus on 3D printing.
While conventional 3D printing uses a laser to build a component layer-by-layer from metallic powder, the binder jetting process uses an adhesive. The resulting metallic component is then heated and shaped. Using the binder jetting component reduces costs and increases productivity – for example, the parts weigh only half as much as those made from sheet steel.
With this initiative, Volkswagen has become the only carmaker using this 3D printing technology in the production process.
Partnership
To achieve this innovative advance, Volkswagen has invested an amount in the mid-double-digit million euro range over the past five years. In addition, the company has entered into a software partnership with Siemens and expanded its existing collaboration with printer manufacturer HP.
HP provides the high-tech printers needed, while Siemens offers special software for additive manufacturing. One critical process step that has been worked on jointly by Siemens and VW is optimising the positioning of components in the build chamber. Known as nesting, this technique makes it possible to produce twice as many parts per print session, which means productivity enhancement.
Christian Vollmer, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Brand responsible for Production and Logistics, said the company and its partners aim to make 3D printing even more efficient in the years ahead and suitable for production-line use.
Cedrik Neike, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO, Digital Industries, feels proud to support Volkswagen with its innovative 3D printing solutions. The company’s automation and software solutions have been deployed in industrial production applications. Using this technology, Volkswagen will be able to develop and produce components faster, more flexibly and using fewer resources, he added.
With the first full-scale use of binder jetting, they intend to acquire the necessary experience and learn; for example, which components can be produced economically and quickly in the future or how additive manufacturing can support the digital transformation of production at Volkswagen.
Expert team
Soon, the three companies intend to establish a joint expert team at the high-tech 3D printing centre, which opened in Wolfsburg at the end of 2018 and enable the manufacture of complex automotive components using 3D printing. The centre also trains employees in the use of these technologies.
With all these initiatives, VW aims to produce up to 100,000 components using 3D printing in Wolfsburg each year by 2025.
The first components made using the binder jetting process have already gone to Osnabrück for certification. Interestingly, these are components for the A-pillar of the T-Roc Convertible, where the weight is reduced by almost 50% of the conventional components made from sheet metal. This reduction alone makes the process especially interesting for automotive production applications, as it helps in upping the efficiency and making the vehicle more environmentally friendly.
Round-up
Volkswagen has already successfully conducted crash tests on 3D-printed metallic vehicle components. So far, the production of larger volumes was not cost-effective enough. However, the new technology and the collaboration will now make production-line use economically viable.
So, be all set for 3D printed parts in your favourite cars!