Additive Manufacturing – Time Is Now For Auto Companies

Over the years, India has emerged as a strong automotive technology and product development base, riding on a gifted talent pool, among other tail winds.

Several automotive companies have set up product and technology development centres that have graduated from making India-specific changes to developing and rolling out India-specific products. Indian auto makers, and along with global auto manufacturers, are successfully tapping international markets using India as a base for exports.

The way in which we experience and use transportation is going to change significantly in the mid to long term, with environmental regulations creating significant pressure on automakers to improvise their products in the short term. For the automotive industry world over, this creates opportunities to reimagine the way products are designed, manufactured and consumed. Manufacturers, who want to become or stay successful irrespective of size, need to think differently and innovatively, to prepare for this exciting future. This is where additive manufacturing or 3D printing is likely to play a significant role.

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING ERA

The aerospace and the medical sectors were among the early adopters of additive manufacturing, given the obvious benefits in terms of speed, total cost of ownership, design freedom & optimisation, as well as manufacturing flexibility, to name a few.

Several studies and experts highlight the fact that companies with high “adjacency” to such sectors, such as high-performance car manufacturers, with relatively lesser volumes, tend to adopt additive manufacturing faster and to a greater extent into their production.