3D Printing car parts – Ford thinks so

Posted by Chris Bowen | Jun 28, 2015 | Motoring

EFTM had stacks to see and do during a week at both the SAP Lab and Ford Research & Innovation Centre in Palo Alto, Silicon Valley. SAP is a world leader in software and solutions and works closely alongside Ford with some fascinating visions being turned into reality.

3D printing is nothing new, but with some of the predicted advancements, a new industrial revolution is on our doorstep. Within five years there’s an expectation that all manner of car parts could simply be printed. The speed of the process is a major hurdle right now but faster more accurate methods are just around the corner. Imagine one day having such a printer at home, downloading a part and simply printing it out.

I saw a stack of car parts that had been crafted from these machines, plastic at this stage but the use of metals into the future is guaranteed.

Here’s a quick look at the process at SAP:

Chris travelled to San Francisco as a guest of Ford

About The Author

Chris Bowen

Chris was EFTM's Motoring Editor for many years, driving everything from your entry level hatch to the latest Luxury cars through to the Rolls Royce. He has been in the media for 20 years, produced three Olympic games broadcasts, attending Beijing 2008 & London 2012. Strangely he owns a Toyota Camry Hybrid, he defiantly rejects the knockers. Chris is married to Gillian and resides in Sydney's North West. They have Sam the English Springer Spaniel and Felix the Burmese cat to keep them company, and recently welcomed baby Henry to the family. He has now left EFTM, and writes freelance and runs his own Facebook Page "Bowen's Garage"