3D Printing
News Videos Newsletter Contact us
Home / Automotive / 3D Printed Cars: How 3D Printing Will Revolutionize the Automotive Industry
qidi

3D Printed Cars: How 3D Printing Will Revolutionize the Automotive Industry

August 7, 2019

The state of transportation is in flux as of late. There are major breakthroughs happening in fuel sources, driverless vehicles and design choices. 3D printing presents another avenue for innovations in the automotive industry. This article is meant to list some of the most prominent ways that 3D printing has altered the landscape for car manufacturing.

Car Design

3D Printed Car Design
Strati, Electric Car with a Fully 3D Printed Body

Car design goes through distinct phases in every decade. Over time designs become like time capsules for the era they belong to. They become indicative of the trends of that decade. Cars in the 60’s were characterised by their muscle car aesthetic and spacious curvy bonnets. As the tech progressed the 70’s brought in a more streamlined, simpler body type with a sportier look. A lot of this had to do with the technology available and the levels of mass production the industry was engaging in.

3D printing presents manufacturers with new designs and arrangements they can try out. It also gives more power to the designer, as he or she may not need as extensive a workforce. Manufacturers are printing entire car bodies like the Strati with just a team of engineers, a large scale 3D printer & 3D printing software.

Car Restoration

Classic Car 3D Printing

While designing presents the possibilities of the future, we also have the other side of the spectrum: classic cars. This is where restoration comes in. Functional products like cars will always pose a problem of maintenance. This leaves restorers and museums saddled with all the obstacles of finding parts for vehicles that are severely out of date.

Additive Manufacturing is already helping in this regard. Motorcar engineers in Australia successfully brought a 103 year old engine to life. This was done with the aid of 3D printers and scanning equipment. Using modern tech, they analyzed and produced new engine parts to revive a car that may not have ever been fixable through traditional means.

Related Story
3D Printed Car Parts Bring Back the Classics

This kind of restoration vastly cuts down on expenses and waiting time associated with finding out of date parts. It also presents companies with an alternative to always having parts on hand. They could instead keep 3D models for printing facilities to download, cutting material, inventory and even shipping costs.

Car Customization

Custom Car 3D Printing

Growing up in the 2000’s, customization was a major part of automotive culture. This can probably be traced back to the (then, newly released) Fast and the Furious movies and Need for Speed: Underground. Custom car parts were all the rage online. There was a seismic shift towards the personalization of cars through custom-fitted parts and paint jobs like never before.

Additive manufacturing presents many new possibilities on this front. The major one is combining design and production and bringing it to the prosumer level. It’s possible that we’ll see people trading files to mod their cars in the near future. Although, for that to happen consumer-grade printers will have to get much bigger and 3D printing metal needs to be come more accessible and affordable.

It may open up the ability of consumers to customize their vehicles in an even more personal manner. There are multiple instructional articles teaching users how to print replacement parts.

Amateur grease-monkeys could upgrade their cars with immense ease. In fact, companies could increase the range of custom parts and sell aesthetic upgrades (like a car industry version of add-ons). Mechanics could specialise in making and adding new parts. It could become a field of its own at some point. For some people, the days of making custom spoilers in video games might finally pay off.

Share:
WhatsApp Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Buffer Reddit E-mail
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Latest posts

Singapore Startup Creates Limited Edition 3D-Printed Collectibles from Recycled Plastic Bottles

Singapore-based startup Unigons has launched a limited collection of 3D-printed Merlion figurines made from recycled plastic bottles. The company produced 60 pieces of... read more »

News
Singapore Startup Creates Limited Edition 3D-Printed Collectibles from Recycled Plastic Bottles

Designer Uses Robotic 3D Printing to Create Dual-Purpose Dog Furniture

Designer Liam de la Bedoyere has developed the Dog Hut Side Table, a piece of furniture that combines a resting space for dogs... read more »

News
Designer Uses Robotic 3D Printing to Create Dual-Purpose Dog Furniture

Scientists 3D Print Solar-Powered Sponge for Seawater Desalination

Researchers have developed a 3D-printed aerogel material that uses sunlight to convert seawater into drinking water. The sponge-like structure contains microscopic vertical channels... read more »

News

Revopoint Launches Major Prime Event 2025 Sale with Up to 40% Off 3D Scanners and Accessories

Revopoint is kicking off its Prime Event 2025 with a series of major discounts on its range of professional 3D scanners and accessories.... read more »

News

Turkish Companies Test 3D Printed Component for Armored Vehicles

MetalWorm and Nurol Makina, both based in Ankara, Turkey, have completed testing of an armored vehicle component manufactured using Directed Energy Deposition (DED)... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Turkish Companies Test 3D Printed Component for Armored Vehicles

McGill Spinout Uses 3D Bioprinting to Create Tumors for Smarter Cancer Treatments

TissueTinker, a McGill University spinout company, has developed 3D bioprinting technology to create miniaturized tumor models for cancer drug testing. The company recently... read more »

Medical
McGill Spinout Uses 3D Bioprinting to Create Tumors for Smarter Cancer Treatments

University of Twente Awarded €13.6M for Research in Circular 3D Printing and Transparent AI

The University of Twente has received €13.6 million in funding from the 2024 NWA ORC program to lead two research projects focused on... read more »

News
University of Twente Awarded €13.6M for Research in Circular 3D Printing and Transparent AI

China’s 3D Printed Micro Turbojet Engine Completes Maiden Flight

The Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) has successfully completed the first flight test of its 3D-printed micro turbojet engine in Inner Mongolia... read more »

Aerospace
China's 3D Printed Micro Turbojet Engine Completes Maiden Flight

Laser-Assisted Cold Spray Technology Enhances Material Deposition Process

Researchers at the University of Cambridge's Center for Industrial Photonics have developed a new additive manufacturing technique called laser-assisted cold spray (LACS). The... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Laser-Assisted Cold Spray Technology Enhances Material Deposition Process

Social

  • Facebook Facebook 3D Printing
  • Linkedin Linkedin 3D Printing
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Fashion
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Snapmaker Artisan Premium 3-in-1

    • - Print size: 400 x 400 x 400 mm
    • - comes with enclosure
    More details »
    $2,999.00 Snapmaker
    Buy Now
  • QIDI Tech X-Max 3

    • - Print size: 325 x 325 x 315 mm
    • - fully enclosed
    More details »
    $799.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now
  • QIDI Plus4

    • - Print size: 305 x 305 x 280 mm
    • - print temperature of 370°C
    More details »
    $799.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now
  • QIDI Tech Q1 Pro

    • - Print size: 245 x 245 x 245 mm
    • - 600mm/s max speed
    More details »
    $449.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now

Company Information

  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing

Blog

  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal

Featured Reviews

  • Anycubic Photon Mono M5s
  • Creality Ender 5 S1
  • The Mole 3D Scanner
  • Flashforge Creator 3 Pro

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
2025 — Strikwerda en Dehue
  • Home
  • Join our mailing list
  • Contact us
Blog
  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal
Featured Industries
  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
Company Information
  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing