Over the last two decades, Ellen Lee has worked her way up the career ladder at福特, a firm synonymous with automotive innovation, which remains one of the world’s leading car manufacturers.
在此期间，Lee目睹了福特从早期的原型采用者到使用3D打印来创建更多功能性模型，夹具，固定装置甚至最终用途零件的业务。如今，李在担任AM Research的技术领导者的角色中，大量参与了该公司的增材制造研发，因此，她看到了该技术的好处和“差距”，以阻止其更广泛的采用。
In order to provide just a glimpse into the future of automotive 3D printing, Lee has now agreed to speak to 3D Printing Industry, as she prepares to deliver a keynote speech at this year’s增材制造用户组(AMUG) Conference.
Lee解释说：“ AM迅速成为我们设计和工程验证过程的重要组成部分，并随着技术的发展而继续用于越来越多的功能原型测试。”“现在，我们还使用AM技术直接生产最终用途零件，包括我们的制造线和车辆。”
3D printing at Ford: a brief history
Having acquired the SLA 3 during the late 1980s, only the third 3D printer ever made, Ford regards itself as one of the technology’s earliest adopters. Since then, Lee says that additive manufacturing has fundamentally “changed its process for new product design,” becoming vital to the company’s validation efforts, including areas such as fluid flow visualization, fit and finish and wind tunnel testing.
Much of this work takes place at the firm’s高级制造中心(AMC) which now not only houses SLA 3D printers, but FDM, SLS, and sand-printing machines. At the AMC, Ford’s team works towards verifying the feasibility of printed parts, and determines how to integrate 3D printing into the factory, as well as validating process quality.
根据李的说法，她的团队与AMC的同事“合作”，除了帮助开发能够扩展的新材料，流程和设计，以便他们可以支持更广泛的生产。虽然围绕此尖端研发的许多知识往往会留在内部，但福特偶尔会瞥见相关项目，例如它卡车第3D印刷计划.
In the past, the firm has alsoworked with DLS 3D printing specialist Carbon, and it partnered with生命值去年发展一种recycling 3D printing waste into Ford truck parts. On the subject of sustainability, Lee explains that it’s now of the “utmost importance” to the company, and it’s currently working on ways to reduce the energy, material, and other waste associated with its 3D printing activities.
“This includes the recycling of waste streams and 3D printed prototype parts, among other activities, and using them in downstream applications where possible,” said Lee. “Some examples include the recycling of waste AM powder and parts into injection molded applications for our vehicles, as well as researching the use of factory waste from packaging into filaments for prototyping.”
Identifying R&D opportunities
Within Ford’s current setup, 3D printing is a valuable tool, as it both enables it to streamline its new product design and validation process and make operational cost savings and quality improvements. As the firm develops and evaluates materials and processes for functional prototyping or tooling applications, this work also indicates the feasibility of such technologies for use in vehicle part production.
尽管Lee在该领域没有概述特定用例，但她确实建议现在部署3D打印来“支持低容量，高混合，高价值应用程序”，这对于使用工具制造的制造可能特别昂贵。
当涉及到扩大技术的汽车应用所需的进步时，李指出，福特已经使用它来在其系列生产和售后支持业务中建立最终用途零件。但是，话虽如此，她还建议当前3D可打印合金的成本仍然太高，而聚合物仍然需要在耐用性和风化性能方面工作。
Specifically, on the metal 3D printing front, Lee says that while titanium has been deployed at scale in the aerospace and medical industries, more focus on heat-treatable low-alloy steels and aluminum is needed by the automotive industry.
更广泛地，李还认识到汽车行业内的标准化的必要性，并强调了福特的工作方式US Council for Automotive Researchcould be vital to achieving this.
“More work in standards development, especially for the automotive sector, is needed to ensure we are able to measure and reduce variability,” added Lee. “Ford has worked with other automotive OEMs through USCAR to publish ‘The Roadmap for Automotive Additive Manufacturing''强调了我们行业中AM技术更广泛使用的机会和途径。”
AMUG’s automotive-led keynotes
Looking ahead to the AMUG 2022 Conference, Lee explains that she’s excited about connecting with colleagues from around the 3D printing community, and learning about the technology’s latest use-cases, though she’ll have to squeeze this in around plans to speak at the event, alongside主题演讲者凯文·辛格（Kevin Czinger）ofCzinger Vehicles.
At the show, Lee says that she plans to start by speaking generally about the “influence the automotive industry has had on the manufacturing landscape,” before delving into the future of production in the industry, covering “where additive manufacturing can play today” and where she “sees opportunities for tomorrow.”
As well as listening to Czinger and Lee’s keynotes, conference attendees also stand to gain access to 150 presentations, discussions, workshops, and hands-on sessions. Fans of the AMUG Technical Competition will be able to check out the contest too, while the ever-popular迪诺奖返回今年的活动，创新者的展示, which last year featuredEOS’Dr. Hans Langer.
Those interested in attending the AMUG 2022 Conference can still register, and if they sign up before March 11, 2022, they can take advantage of a 27% registration fee discount, with the fee covering tickets to all of the above plus a variety of off-site gatherings, networking receptions and catered meals.
Prospective attendees can use theAMUG online registration formto apply now.
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特色图片显示了福特F-250超级责任。通过福特照片。
