Detroit automakers expand 3D printing to cut manufacturing costs

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Highlights

Rivian invested over $5 million in 3D-printing equipment and spends $1.7 million annually on materials, citing millions in cost savings mainly from faster part production.
Ford operates additive manufacturing at multiple plants, deploying over 200 machines with a goal of 3D labs in more than 23 facilities by year-end 2024 for flexible tooling and supply resilience.
GM integrates 3D-printed parts in R&D, factories, and Cadillac Celestiq vehicles, using 135 printed components, illustrating broader scaling and standardization across the automotive industry.

Automakers scale additive manufacturing in plants and development

As reported by CNBC, manufacturers are pushing 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, deeper into their operations as the technology becomes more widely available across the automotive sector.

Rivian says it is expanding the use of the technology throughout the company, from research and development to production support. Jared Beck, Rivian's head of additive manufacturing, says the automaker is scaling up after investing more than $5 million in 3D-printing machines, while annual material costs have grown to about $1.7 million.

Beck says the equipment typically pays for itself within a year by lowering supplier tooling costs, reducing logistics expenses and shortening production times for parts. He says the savings amount to millions of dollars, but speed remains the main advantage for Rivian.

The electric vehicle maker's latest buildout includes machines that can make flexible silicone parts and a bank of printers at its Normal, Illinois, plant so employees can produce parts on demand. Rivian has also used 3D printing for electric motor models used in fluid testing, screw guides, stamping press inserts and some production trim pieces.

Faster tooling supports broader factory efficiency

Ford and GM are also increasing use of the technology, though with different operating models. Ford says it has additive manufacturing departments at many plants, including a vending machine for 3D-printed parts used in F-150 production near Dearborn, Michigan.

Gregory Foresi, a Ford mechanical engineer, says the setup gives team leaders easier access to parts while helping the company keep inventory organized. He says roughly two dozen machines at the River Rouge plant have produced thousands of tools, including employee-designed torque bit sockets, hood jackers and hand tools for smoothing adhesive.

Ford says workers can request specific parts or tools through an app, while 3D-printing teams help decide what should be produced based on need and machining time. The company also says printed parts can keep assembly lines running temporarily when supplier replacements are not immediately available.

Ford expects to have 3D labs at more than 23 plants by the end of this year, and says its current program includes more than 200 machines, in addition to printers outside the formal network. GM, meanwhile, uses 3D-printed parts in research and development, in factories and in low-volume vehicles such as the Cadillac Celestiq, which includes 135 printed components, as well as Cadillac Blackwing sedans.

Fadi Abro, senior global director of automotive and mobility at Stratasys, says GM shows how manufacturers can standardize and then scale 3D printing. He says improving material properties is expanding use cases, while the industry still needs faster and more economically accessible systems to support wider adoption.

Our earlier article on BYD Malaysia’s local CKD assembly plans explained how the automaker appointed Inokom Corporation Sdn Bhd as its assembly partner in Kulim, Kedah, after dropping a proposed plant in Tanjung Malim. We noted that the move could strengthen Malaysia’s automotive ecosystem, although BYD has yet to confirm which models will be assembled or provide a production timeline.

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