Engineering news
Udo Hänle, head of production integration at the company, said it would allow BMW to test new technologies and continue to develop its “pioneering role” in the use of additive manufacturing for vehicle production.
The centre will be home to up to 80 staff, and more than 30 different systems for producing metals and plastics, and is due to open in early 2019. It will work as a pilot plant, primarily producing parts for prototypes and custom vehicles.
The company has already integrated additive manufacturing and 3D printing into its production line. “With the BMW i8 Roadster, the BMW Group became the first carmaker to 3D print a production run of several thousand metal parts,” explained Jens Ertel, head of the company’s Additive Manufacturing Centre.
One example is a fixture in the soft-top cover for the Roadster, made of aluminium alloy. Printing meant the item, which was inspired by forms found in nature, could be lighter, but significantly more rigid than the normal injection-moulded equivalent.
Eventually, BMW hopes that 3D printing will enable components to be produced where they are needed, rather than in a central factory. “The 3D printers that are operating across our production network represent a first step towards local part production,” said Ertel.
“We are already using additive manufacturing to make prototype components on location in Spartanburg (US), Shenyang (China) and Rayong (Thailand). Going forward, we could well imagine integrating it more fully into local production structures to allow small production runs, country-specific editions and customisable components – provided it represents a profitable solution.”