Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Volkswagen continues to produce 3D printed parts with HP Metal Jet
In September 2018, the American manufacturer HP announced the arrival of its metal 3D printer, the HP Metal Jet. Among the first users of the technology, the car manufacturer Volkswagen: for a year, the German company has been testing the possibilities of the machine and does not seem to be disappointed since it would have 3D printed 10,000 parts in just a few weeks! To mark the release of its new ID.3 electric vehicle, it has produced miniatures of the car in metal, in partnership with GKN Powder Metallurgy. Measuring 2.5cm long, the 3D printed parts, which have a marketing function here, represent a successful first step in Volkswagen's roadmap to 3D printing structural parts for its cars by 2021.
Volkswagen currently has 90 3D printers installed in its factories, including HP Metal Jets - although it is not known how many of these are used. These were initially used to create customised cosmetic parts such as personalised keys, etc. The second stage will focus on the production of functional parts such as gear knobs and mirror holders. Volkswagen's goal is to print 50,000 to 100,000 functional parts the size of a football per year. Dr. Martin Goede, head of technology planning and development at Volkswagen, said: "Our vision of industrialising additive manufacturing is fast becoming a reality with HP Metal Jet, and it is a game changer for the automotive sector. The pace of HP's innovations and the advanced capabilities of the technology have exceeded our expectations. We are achieving our goals and actively identifying and developing functional components for production."
Source : 3Dnatives