Volkswagen is pressing ahead with the use of 3D printers in car production including components used in the A-pillar of the T-Roc convertible. For the first time, the newest process – known as binder jetting – is being used to manufacture components at the company’s main plant in Wolfsburg, Germany. Whereas conventional 3D printing uses a laser to build a component layer by layer from metallic powder, the binder jetting process uses an adhesive. The resulting metallic component is then heated and shaped.
Using the binder jetting component reduces costs and increases productivity – for example, the components weigh only
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