3-D PRINTING ISN’T JUST CHEAP PLASTIC

Fender Bender July 2020 / Read original article

The advancement of 3-D printing technology for industrial use has greatly increased the effectiveness for automotive parts.

General Motors recently shared insight on its 3-D printing lab, which produced 75 percent of the part for the first prototype mid-engine Corvette.

“3-D printing helps us design and build parts and products faster and in ways we previously couldn’t,” said Kevin Quinn, GM director of additive design and manufacturing, in the GM post. “It’s already having a positive impact on how we develop and build vehicles, like Corvette, and it’s allowed us to apply our mass production expertise to medical supplies and devices.”

The ability to print Corvette test parts relatively quickly, which was a first at this scale for GM, led to quicker tests for right-hand drive configurations and retractable roof features, according to the post.

GM says that 3-D printing helped the company transition to mass production of ventilator parts and face masks in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. That effort included 17,000 face shields.

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