Additive manufacturing and the auto industry have formed quite the partnership. From prototyping to auto racing to keeping companies afloat despite supply chain issues, the relationship is expected to grow.

A 2019 report by SmartTech Analysis projects the automotive additive manufacturing market to be worth more than $12 billion by 2028, which would be a drastic increase from $1 billion in 2017. 

Granted, this estimate was released just before the coronavirus pandemic plagued countless companies and industries. According to Scott Dunham, executive director of research at SmartTech Analysis, short-term impacts were much more pronounced.

3D printing hardware sales were greatly reduced, but in the second half of 2020, and throughout 2021, the industry saw a rebound. 

The long term outlook was not affected much from what is seen in the 2019 report, nor was the forecast. Because the pandemic thrusted digital manufacturing and supply chain flexibility trends to the forefront, the predictions might even be more robust. 

“The automotive industry, at the time that report came out, it’s use of 3D printing had been increasing in one sense that there were more exploratory projects,” Dunham said. “The industry’s use of 3D printing during that time had been scaling back just a little bit. That was the rapid prototyping side of things where a lot of the technology had been rooted historically. That was mainly auto industry trends; not so much a commentary on the technology.”

Eventually, auto companies will be looking for end-use, direct production applications in larger volumes if possible. This leads to 3D printing companies entering the scene to meet potential requirements. 

For now, OEMs are picking what Dunham calls “pet projects” to utilize 3D printing. 

“It’s like they pick [a project] specifically for AM because it’s a vehicle that makes sense in the realm of today’s AM technology. It’s something that pushes the brand, but it isn’t going to sell huge units.” 

An example of a pet project was covered by Michael Molitch-Hou, the editor-in-chief of 3DPrinting.com. It involves Ford releasing CAD files that grant 2022 Maverick owners the ability to 3D print customized components for the pickup. 

Molitch-Hou described it as something that should have happened in 2015 but explained how it could lead to further development. 

“At the same time, the 3D printing technology and the industry itself has advanced to the point that we should see end parts in vehicles any day now,” Molitch-Hou said. “Ford itself claims by 2023; it’s going to have metal 3D-printed parts in a popular sedan. I feel like that Maverick story isn’t super indicative of where Ford is even at or where the market is at, but it still feels like a pilot project and they’re going to see if it takes hold.”

Implementing a minor 3D-printed contribution in the automotive industry is nothing new. One of the most prominent examples is 3D printing’s place in auto racing. As Molitch-Hou explains, 3D printing is helpful for one-off, complex parts that would prove too expensive to make with traditional manufacturing methods. 

For example, in 2015, BMW announced its 500th water pump wheel to be 3D printed and fitted to a car’s powertrains. The first took place in 2010 when BMW used selective laser melting (SLM) technology to make a single-piece lightweight metal water pump wheel. It replaced multi-pieced water pump wheels, which were assembled with plastic