3D Printing Technology in Automotive Industry - Report Example

3 D Printing Technology in Automotive Industry Name of Student: Name of Course: Name of Instructor: Date of Submission: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 1.0Introduction 4 2.0 Introduction to 3 D printing / Additive Manufacturing 5 3.0 Techniques used in 3 D printing 6 4.0 Role of Additive Manufacturing in the Automobile Manufacturing Industry 13 5.0 Conclusion 16 References 18 Figure 1 Vat Polymerization (3D Printing, 2015) 7 Figure 2 Material jetting (3D Printing, 2015) 8 Figure 3 Binder Jetting (3D Printing, 2015 9 Figure 4 Material extrusion (3D Printing, 2015) 10 Figure 5 Powder Bed Fusion (3D Printing, 2015) 11 Figure 6 Sheet Lamination (3D Printing, 2015) 12 Figure 7 Directed Energy Deposition (3D Printing, 2015) 13 1.0 Introduction 3 D printing is a technology that makes it possible to print three dimensional objects. Also referred to as additive manufacturing, 3 D printing is based on a printing principle based on the successive placement of layers of materials on top of each other in various shapes according to the required shape and dimension of the final object. 3 D printing is slowly gaining acceptance in the market and is expected to bring what is referred to as 3 rd manufacturing / industrial revolution (Berman, 2012). Implicitly, 3 D printing provides an individual with an opportunity to own and run a micro factory at home. 3 D printers are associated with high precision thus their efficiency in printing finite objects requiring high levels of the same. 3 D printing has brought about the much needed innovation that has revolutionized the manufacturing industry. Illustrating this, the use of 3 D printing in the medical field is on the rise with the production of prosthetic body parts such as arms in addition to research and developments that are currently underway to use it in the manufacture of body organs such as kidneys and tissues (Mironov, Boland, Trusk, Forgacs & Markwald, 2003). The following report will give background information into 3 D printing, 3 D printing techniques currently used and an analysis of the use of the technology in the automobile manufacturing industry. 2.0 Introduction to 3 D printing / Additive Manufacturing The first developments in 3 D printing technologies can be traced back to 1980 when Dr. Kodana, a Japanese applied for a patent for rapid prototyping, a former representation of the current 3 D printing (3 D Printing Industry, 2015). However, he did not finish up with full patenting of his innovation. The major breakthrough came in 1986 when a full patent was filed and issued for sterothography apparatus SLA. The patent was owned by Charles Hull, an engineer working at a furniture company in the United States of America. Following extensive research and development work, Hull was finally able to print a plastic cup. Hull later went on to form 3 D Systems, a company that is considered to be a global leader in 3 D printing. As part of ongoing research and development in 3 D printing, Carl Deckard developed the Selective Laser Sintering SLS technique that provided an alternative to Hull’s SLA (3 D Printing Industry, 2015). The patent for the same was issued in 1989. Initially, the patent was license to DTM Inc, a company that was later acquired by Hull’s 3 D Systems. Following closely after Card’s SSA was Scot Crump’s Fused Deposition Modeling FDM that provided another alternative to 3 D printing technologies. In its infant years, 3 D printing basically provided an alternative to developing prototypes as illustrated by its then name rapid prototyping (3 D Printing Industry, 2015). It provided engineers and designer with a chance to develop prototypes of their products within a short period of time. As such, the main contribution of 3 D printing was in research and development. Its ability to produce precise prototypes fueled its growth and adaptation in the global world. However, the growth of 3 D printing did not stop there. It success in rapid prototyping instigated the drive in engineers, designers and other stakeholders involved to develop new technologies that would be able to produce real objects for end user use in addition to the prototypes. With years of extensive research, it is not possible to produce many things using 3 D printing technologies. The scope of the items that can be manufactured using 3 D printing technologies is increasing by the day with developments in production of synthetic materials and high capacity printing machines. As pointed earlier in the introduction, 3 D printing is also changing lives around the world. The adaptation of 3 D printing in the medical world is growing. Currently, 3 D printing has been effective in producing synthetic products that are widely used in tissues, blood vessel, skeletal system and dental applications. There are also researches underway to expand the use of 3 D printing to the development of body organ such as kidneys and pancreases; an innovation that is expected to save lives and reduce the stresses surrounding organ transplants (Mironov, Boland, Trusk, Forgacs & Markwald, 2003). The scope of the use of 3 D printing technology is limited to the creativity of stakeholders involved in a specific industry. Currently, the world is warming up to 3 D printing technologies in various applications (Berman, 2012). The future of 3 D printing is bright. It is regarded to as the 3rd revolution in manufacturing and industrial world. This report will evaluate the role and future of 3 D printing in the automobile manufacturing world that has for a long time being dictated by the ability of automobile manufactures to design and produce parts that enhance functional aspects of finished automobiles. 3.0 Techniques used in 3 D printing 3 D printing takes place after the successful computer aided design of a 3 D image of the desired object. There are various computer aided design software such as AutoCad such AutoDesk . The type of 3 D printing technologies vary with the approach taken to lay layers of material on top of each other to come up with a final product. The American Society for Testing Material group, an institution responsible for developing various standards for acceptable use classified 3 D printing into 7 major categories. The following section will discuss these categories. a. Vat Polymerization Based on the vat polymerization process, this 3 D printing technique is regarded to be first technique to be used commercially in 3 D printing. Under it is the stereolithography (SLA) technology that makes use of photopolymer resins that are hardened by ultra violet light. The polymer resin is placed in a vat while the UV light is emitted by a laser. For each layer of the design being printed, the ultraviolet laser maps a design pattern of the desired image; curing only the surfaces that are required as per the design. The following image shows a schematic representation of the vat polymerization 3D printing technique. Figure 1 Vat Polymerization (3D Printing, 2015) b. Material jetting As opposed to the vat polymerization technique that cures the required parts layer wise, material jetting 3D printing design applied finite molecules of the polymer material layer wise in such a manner that a platform that later forms a 3 D object is made. Ultraviolet light is used for hardening / curing the photopolymer resin used for printing. The following figure illustrates the material jetting 3D printing technique. Figure 2 Material jetting (3D Printing, 2015) c. Binder Jetting Under this technique, a base material (powder form) and a liquid binder are used. The base material is spread in proportionate layers while the jet is spread using nozzles in pattern that conforms to the final shape of the desired product. The unbounded powder is cleaned off after printing to leave the desired product. The following figure illustrated the binder jetting technique. Figure 3 Binder Jetting (3D Printing, 2015 d. Material extrusion Material extrusion is the most common 3 D printing technique in use. Developed in the early 1990’ as the fused deposition modeling (FDM). In this technique, a heated nozzle is used to melt material. After successful extrusion of material, the remaining part is left as the final object. The movement of the nozzle is controlled by a numerical control that give commands according to the computer aided design fed into the machine. The following image illustrates a material extrusion 3 D printing technique. Figure 4 Material extrusion (3D Printing, 2015) e. Powder Bed Fusion Also referred to as selective laser sintering SLS, powder bed fusion 3 D printing technique uses high power laser beams to bind small particles of material to form the desired object. Through a selective process dictated by the CAD design fed to the machine, the laser beam fuses layers of particles that are applied by the material bed. Successive binding and lowering of material lead to the completion of the final 3 D object. Figure 5 Powder Bed Fusion (3D Printing, 2015) f. Sheet Lamination In the sheet lamination 3 D printing technique, ultrasonic welding is used to weld sheets of material together after which computer numerical machining CNC is used to cut the welded sheets into proper shapes. The following figure illustrates the sheet lamination 3 D printing technique. Figure 6 Sheet Lamination (3D Printing, 2015) g. Directed Energy Deposition This technique is the most widely used method in metal and rapid manufacturing applications. The 3D printing tip is driven by a robotic arm that also drives a nozzle for material deposition and an energy source. The deposited material normally solidifies once the material particles are subjected to high energy. The movement of the arm is dictated by the computer aided design fed to the machine. The following figure illustrates this printing technology. Figure 7 Directed Energy Deposition (3D Printing, 2015) 4.0 Role of Additive Manufacturing in the Automobile Manufacturing Industry From the discussion above, it is apparent that additive manufacturing can be used in any industry. Its ability to produce anything is merely dependent on the size of the object and materials required to manufacture it. As such, it is imperative that material engineers come up with good materials that are suitable for designs developed for additive manufacturing. According to Price Water House Cooper, there is a growing acceptance and use of 3 D printing around the world (PWC, 2014). It is noted that the automobile industry provides the highest opportunity for the use of 3 D printing. As such, the adoption of additive manufacturing in the automobile manufacturing industry is high. On this point, it is important to give a short insight into the automobile manufacturing industry. The success of auto manufacturers is as of today dependent on their ability to create high quality products. The intense competition in the industry has resulted to a need for continuous improvement; a factor that has compelled manufacturers to release new models within a short timeframe. As such, there is a need for a flexible and rigorous design function to support this process. Additionally, automobile manufacturers depend on extensive supply chain networks that provide them with required parts at acceptable standards. Currently, Toyota, Ford and General Motors have incorporated additive manufacturing processes in their manufacturing processes. The future for further use of additive manufacturing looks bright. The following section will discuss various reasons as to why additive manufacturing fits the automobile manufacturing industry. 3 D printing enable automobile manufacturers to consolidate various parts into one complex component; thus enhancing manufacturability. As pointed out above, the success of automobile manufacturers is dependent on their ability to develop strategic supply chains that ensure that they are well supplied with high quality parts for their assembly lines and after ale services. Most of the parts are machined or molded. As such, complex parts have to be broken down into finite parts so as to make them producible. This explains the reason as to why design for assembly is the main manufacturing design approach in the industry. With 3 D printing, automobile manufacturers will have the chance to manufacture complex objects without breaking them down (PWC, 2014). This is expected to collectively reduce the cost of manufacture and also enhance product utility. This is due to the reduced costs of manufacture and improved spare parts conducive for the design for assembly manufacturing. Additive manufacturing also provides automobile manufactures with chance to enhance the efficiency of their design and production lines. A pointed out earlier, the stiff competition in the automobile industry has compelled companies to produce new designs and models within a short period of time. Additionally, the changing technologies such as energy efficiency, aesthetics, incorporation of new technology and massive customization are major forces that have reduced product life cycles and also increased the need for continuous design. Additive manufacturing provides companies with an opportunity to develop their prototypes easily and less costly (Bak, 2003). Upon successful development, additive manufacturing provides companies with a chance to manufacture their end products efficiently. As such, 3 D printing presents automobile manufacturers with a chance to boost their design and manufacturing efficiencies; thus becoming more competitive. 3 D printing also presents automobile manufacturers with a chance to go green. On this point, it is worth noting that the automobile industry is associated with a heavy carbon foot print that cut across the product life cycle. Adaptive manufacturing provides companies with a chance to develop light automobiles that are more efficient than the former (Kharinta, 2015). Additionally, the chance presented to develop complex parts that can be used for varying functions on the end product such as carbon emission regulation. The production auto parts through the use of additive manufacturing are also a green process since it is associated with minimal emissions, waste and consumption of natural resources. From the above discussion, it can be acknowledged that additive manufacturing provides automobile manufacture with a chance to be environmentally sustainable. On the other hand, the use of additive manufacturing in the automobile industry is dependent on the ability of material engineer to come up with appropriate materials that serve the requirements of various parameters required in automobiles and also conducive for the 3 D printing processes (PWC, 2014). Additionally, there is a need for extensive research to ensure that additive manufactured parts attain the minimum acceptable performance requirements of the end products so as to guarantee the safety of the developed products. Currently, the automobile industry is a heavy consumer of synthetic materials that have been able to reduce the weight of automobiles, improve design and aesthetics and achieve efficiency amongst others. It is expected that further research would come up with a wider range of materials that would in turn make additive manufacturing a game changer in the automobile manufacturing industry, 5.0 Conclusion In conclusion, this report has been able to give a deep analysis of 3 D printing. Also referred to as additive manufacturing, this innovation was identified to manufacture 3 dimensional objects layer by layer. The report identified vat polymerization, binder jetting, power bed fusion, material jetting, sheet lamination, material extrusion and directed energy deposition as the main additive manufacturing techniques. From the report, it can be acknowledged that 3 D printing presents a great opportunity of automobile manufactures to enhance their design and production efficiencies. However, it was pointed out that there is a need for extensive research to develop materials that are conducive for 3 D printing processes and at the same time stable for use in automobiles. References 3D Printing (2015). What is 3 D printing? 3 D printing .com Retrieved on 4th October 2015 from http://3dprinting.com/what-is-3d-printing/ 3 D Printing Industry, (2015). History of 3D Printing. The Free Beginner’s Guide, Retrieved on 4th October 2015 from http://3dprintingindustry.com/3d-printing-basics-free-beginners-guide/history/ Berman, B. (2012). 3-D printing: The new industrial revolution. Business horizons, 55(2), 155-162 Bak, D. (2003). Rapid prototyping or rapid production? 3D printing processes move industry towards the latter. Assembly Automation, 23(4), 340-345. Kharinta, M., (2015). Blade the 3D-printed Car Cuts Manufacturing Conventions Business Standard, Retrieved on 4th October 2015 from http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-cd/blade-the-3d-printed-car-cuts-manufacturing-conventions-115080600822_1.html Mironov, V., Boland, T., Trusk, T., Forgacs, G., & Markwald, R. (2003). Organ printing: computer-aided jet-based 3D tissue engineering. TRENDS in Biotechnology, 21(4), 157–161 PWC (2014). The road ahead for 3-D printers, Retrieved on 4th October 2015 from http://www.pwc.com/us/en/technology-forecast/2014/3d-printing/features/future-3d-printing.html Read More