According to a BMW spokesman, the company plans to eventually become a world leader in the production of 3D printed car parts. The Bavarian car manufacturer has already made almost 12.5 million U.S. dollars’ worth of investments into the development of the related technologies.
The hybrid BMW i8 Roadster will be the first BMW vehicle to make use of printed plastic and even metallic parts. The main 3D printing center of the company will be located in Munich, Germany.
This isn’t the first time automotive industry giants look into the emerging 3D printing technology to try and improve their own production processes. Another such example is Ford. The company claims it developed its 3D printer assembly using the same approaches as the ones used by the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, which enabled it to print even large-scale car body parts.
Photo: motor1.com