GM bets on 3D printers for cheaper and lighter car parts
by:Tuowei2019-09-09
Detroit: GM said in May 3 that it is working with design software company Autodesk Inc. to produce new lightweight 3D- Printed parts that can help automakers achieve their goals Its lineup of fuel cars. Last year, the company announced ambitious plans to add 20 new electric and fuel cell vehicles to its global lineup by 2023. Detroit Auto Chief Executive Mary Barra has made bold promises to investors that the automaker will make money by selling electric cars by 2021. The ability to print light parts can be a challenge for the electric vehicle industry. Due to consumer concerns about the limited range of electric vehicles, which is a major obstacle to the large-scale adoption of electric vehicles, lighter electric vehicles can improve fuel efficiency and help expand this range. GM executives showed off a 3D this week. Printed stainless steel seat stand developed using Autodesk technology-using cloud computing and artificial intelligence -- Quickly explore multiple arrangement algorithms for part design. Using traditional technology, parts require eight parts and several suppliers. With this new system, the seat stand is made up of parts-it looks like a mix of abstract art and sci-fi movies-40% lighter and 20% stronger. Other manufacturers such as GE have also stepped up the use of 3D printers in manufacturing. Ford Motor Co. , GM\'s rival, said last year that it was testing lightweight 3D printing for mass production. GM has been using 3D printers for prototyping for years, but Kevin Quinn, director of additive design and manufacturing for the automaker, said that in about a year, GM expects these new 3D- Printed parts will appear in high End of racing application. In five years, GM hopes to produce thousands of parts on a large scale as technology advances, Quinn said. \"This is our magic bullet,\" Quinn said . \" \"That\'s what we want. In the long run, 3D printed parts will help reduce tool costs, reduce material usage, the number of suppliers required for one part, and logistics costs, Quinn said. The 3D- Bob Yancey, manufacturing director at Autodesk, said printing-based manufacturing is working on mass production and is trying to solve the problem with \"repeatability and robustness. GM\'s entry into the game \"will put a lot of pressure on achieving that,\" Yang said \". —