Ford Spain is the first car manufacturer in Europe to use the Form 3L, a larger format 3D printer from photopolymerization 3D printer OEM Formlabs. Ford Body and Assembly in Valencia uses the Form 3L to produce plastic caps that are used in a vacuum test to check engines for leakages.

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3D printing helps Ford to prototype new tools and produce specific parts in less time and for a lower cost than with traditional manufacturing. The Ford Body and Assembly Plant has been using a Form 3 desktop 3D printer for some time before adding the Form 3L, which boasts a significant print volume of 33.5 × 20 × 30 cm, into their manufacturing processes. Stereolithography 3D printing helps Ford develop prototypes with a high surface quality that resembles the final product. However, 3D printing proved especially valuable when Ford needed to produce a specific part for a tool to do quality checks on motors. The whole production cycle from design and prototyping to the final product was completed onsite at the plant in Valencia. “For us, it was the first time to use 3D printing for this purpose, but we are very happy with the result”, comments […]

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