Ford is trying 3D printing for car parts
Aaron Smith for CNN: Ford (F) figures they will be lighter than their metal counterparts, and therefore more fuel efficient.
The company will start with spoilers, those streamlined decorations fastened to car exteriors to make them look faster. For now, the company is testing parts for its Ford Performance race car division, but 3D-printed parts could be used for mass-market cars and trucks in the future.
Ford released photos of 3D-printed parts, like the plastic molding for car interiors. The company hinted that it might one day be able to 3D-print more complicated parts, like intake manifolds. Cont'd...
3D Printing Is Already Starting To Threaten The Traditional Spare Parts Supply Chain
Gilles Roucolle and Marc Boilard for Forbes: Â The race is on to use 3D printing to produce small-series parts, on demand and on location, for industries from aerospace to automotive. At stake is the shape of a $400 billion market for spare parts manufacturing and logistics. And those changes are not 20, or even 10, years out - they are happening now.
Using models built through computer-aided design (CAD), 3D printing can produce virtually any solid object, even those with complex architectures, and in a range of materials, including plastic, ceramic, and metal. Currently, about half of 3D printing - also known as additive manufacturing - is used for prototyping. This saves manufacturers time and money, because they can develop new components or products on-demand, with less waste and without expensive tools and molds. Â Cont'd...
Desktop Factories: A 'Moving' Look at 3D Printing
Precision mechanical movement is an essential attribute of 3D printers. Stepper motors provide this control to many 3D printers thanks to their relative ease of use and competitive cost.
Maintaining Precision At Varying Temperatures
High precision transducers are increasingly in demand due to high-performance industrial applications such as precision motor controllers, metering, measurement accessories and test equipment for medical equipment such as scanners and MRI machines.
Selecting Pneumatic Linear Slides for Automated Assembly Equipment
Rather than sizing up to a slide model with very large diameter guideshafts, you may be able to use a smaller model with the addition of the optional center support.
Comparing Three Different Types of WirelessHART Adapters
Transmitting small amounts of data over long distances is one of the challenges in process plants.
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