If you are like us, you have dreamt up custom parts for your car that no one makes yet. Either your idea is too eccentric or the car you own isn’t popular enough to warrant a manufacturer tooling up for a run of parts. Well, what if you could just print up the parts of your dreams. That’s just what Ford is experimenting with by using 3D printers designed for large-scale parts.
“With the Infinite Build technology, we are now able to print large tools, fixtures, and components, making us more nimble in design iterations,” said Ellen Lee, Ford technical leader for additive manufacturing research. “We’re excited to have early access to Stratasys’ new technology in order to help steer the development of large scale printing for automotive applications and requirements.”
The Stratasys Infinite Build 3D printer can print parts of all shapes and sizes, which allows it to produce a variety of components. The possibilities are endless and exciting, as the printers could be used to quickly develop prototypes for production or test parts for race cars. However, it is most exciting that Ford specifically mentioned using these printers for Ford Performance vehicles and custom parts.