Additive Manufacturing: Opportunities for the Automotive Sector

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is a fabrication technology that makes it possible to create three-dimensional objects by progressively depositing material layer upon layer.”

Definition and Functioning

Unlike subtractive manufacturing, which shapes a block by removing material until the final form is achieved, this technique directly builds the desired geometry.

3D printing, that is additive manufacturing, enables the production of complex components with shapes that are difficult to achieve through conventional manufacturing methods.
The process starts from a three-dimensional CAD model, divided into thin layers, which guides the machine in the sequential deposition of material until completion.

Additive manufacturing is used in many fields, such as automotive, aerospace, medical, consumer goods, and advanced manufacturing tools. In addition to its application for rapid prototyping, the technology is increasingly employed in the production of functional components and in the limited manufacturing of small batches.

Additive manufacturing represents a true industrial revolution, offering extensive opportunities for customization, greater production efficiency, and design freedom compared to conventional fabrication methods.
The variety of usable materials, flexibility in creating geometries, and sustainability make 3D printing today an extremely versatile technology.

Greater Efficiency and Compatibility
Additive manufacturing techniques are generally classified according to three fundamental criteria: the type of process employed, the method of component creation, and the material used.

In the production of parts for machinery and industrial equipment, designers primarily favor metals or alloys, although polymers are increasingly gaining application.

Polymeric materials offer advantages such as reduced weight, corrosion resistance, good mechanical and thermal properties, electrical insulation, as well as biocompatibility and biodegradability in certain formulations. There are additive polymers capable of responding to external stimuli — temperature, light, electric or magnetic fields, humidity, pH — by altering their shape and physico-chemical properties.
These materials are used to produce complex structures capable of adapting to environmental variables, finding applications in the automotive, aerospace, engineering, and medical sectors.

Emerging Additive Manufacturing Solutions in the Automotive Sector

Additive techniques
are increasingly applied in the production of parts and subsystems for next-generation vehicles, meeting the needs of efficiency and sustainability.
The growing demand for sustainable mobility has made the use of additive solutions essential in the manufacturing of engines, transmissions, and automotive design components.
Additive manufacturing supports the entire vehicle lifecycle, from the initial concept to the stages of re-manufacturing and scheduled maintenance of various parts.

What are the 3 main additive manufacturing techniques used in this segment?

1. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
A widely used additive manufacturing technology for 3D printing. It is based on a thermoplastic filament that is pushed through a heated nozzle, where the material melts and is extruded. The molten material is deposited layer by layer on a build platform, gradually forming the three-dimensional object.
After extrusion, the material cools and solidifies, bonding with the underlying layers until the object is complete.
This is a cost-effective and accessible technology, suitable for rapid prototyping and small-series production.

2. Stereolithography (SLA)
Based on the photopolymerization of photosensitive liquid resins that solidify when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. This process builds three-dimensional objects layer by layer from a digital model.
SLA uses a vat of liquid photopolymer resin, selectively solidified by a UV laser that follows the 3D model layer by layer.
After each polymerization step, the build platform lowers, allowing a new resin layer to spread, which is then cured until the object is complete.
It provides high precision and resolution, with more detailed finishes compared to other technologies.

3. Binder Jetting (BJ)
Binder Jetting is a 3D printing process that uses a liquid binder to join powder particles layer by layer. An inkjet-like print head deposits binder droplets onto the desired areas of a previously spread powder layer. This process is repeated layer by layer until the full object is built.
It allows the printing of complex geometries without the need for support structures, as the unbound powder acts as a natural support.

Could additive manufacturing therefore be considered a strategic lever for the automotive industry?
Some applications could impact not only the production of lighter, more reliable, and efficient components, but also the optimization of crucial parts such as transmissions and gears.
Technological evolution has paved the way for innovative solutions ranging from the creation of customized spare parts—even without pre-existing models—to redesign based on topological optimization, with a direct impact in terms of sustainability.

Moreover, the possibility of repairing and regenerating high-value components, restoring them to like-new condition, strengthens additive manufacturing as an enabling technology destined to play an increasingly central role in the future of the sector.