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July 18, 2021 03:45 AM

VW starts testing 3D-printed structural parts

Automaker teams with Siemens, HP to make lighter components, with goal of 100,000 annually by 2025

Nathan Eddy
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    A 3D printer at Volkswagen's factory complex in Wolfsburg .

    Volkswagen has begun certifying prototype 3D-printed structural components, with the aim of producing 100,000 parts annually by 2025. 

    VW is teaming with Siemens and HP to industrialize 3D printing of structural parts, which can be significantly lighter than equivalent components made of sheet steel. 

    The automaker will use an additive process known as binder jetting to make the components at its main plant in Wolfsburg, Germany. HP is providing the printers and Siemens will supply the manufacturing software.

    The automaker said in 2018 that it wanted to begin mass production of 3D-printed parts, starting with nonstructural elements such as license frames.

    In binder jetting, a liquid binder is sprayed onto a bed of powder, solidifying the cross section of the component, building it up layer by layer.

    The component is typically designed using computer-aided design, or CAD, software before being sent to the 3D printer. 

    3D-printed components for the windshield pillar in the Volkswagen T-Roc convertible are already being certified at the company's plant in Osnabrueck, Germany.

    Weight reduction is a key advantage of the process, as the components weigh less than half as much as conventional parts made from sheet steel. While VW has done crash testing of 3D components in the past, the process was not cost effective until now, a company release said. 

    Through an optimization process called nesting, VW says it has figured out how to double the number of parts per print session. 

    Volkswagen plans to use this venture to further develop expertise in 3D printing of components and see what additional elements can be produced through this process.

    Dedicated center for 3D printing

    The company has already invested "an amount in the mid-double-digit million euro range" in the 3D printing center since 2018. The center also trains employees in the use of these technologies.

    This is not a new field of research for Volkswagen. For 25 years the company has been testing various printing processes for plastic components including center consoles, door cladding, instrument panels and bumpers, as well as printed metal elements such as intake manifolds, radiators, brackets and support elements. 

    There are 13 units at the Wolfsburg plant currently using various printing processes to manufacture both plastic and metal components, VW said.

    "Despite the ongoing challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, we're continuing to work on innovation," Christian Vollmer, member of the board of management at VW brand responsible for production and logistics, said in a statement. "Together with our partners, we aim to make 3D printing even more efficient in the years ahead and suitable for production-line use."

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