Is 3D Printing Road-Ready? By Dan Carney When we talk about
speed with regards to the auto industry, we're usually talking
about zero-to-60 acceleration. But what about zero-to-market?
That's where 3D Printing is revolutionizing the industry: How
quickly car companies can design, test, and produce new
vehicles. Think of all the specialized pieces that go into a
functioning automobile—then imagine trying to find those parts
for car models that don't yet exist. Increasingly, big-name
manufacturers like GM and Jaguar Land Rover are using 3D
Printing whenever they need those specialized parts in a hurry.
The technology rapidly reduces the time needed to build
customized parts used in aerodynamic testing and preproduction
prototypes, and it's ideal for creating molds used to mass-
produce a slew of parts used in actual production vehicles. This
capability has sparked talk of "printed" cars, and while
printing your ride might be an interesting demonstration of the
technology's maturity, it wouldn't result in a car m