The recent collaboration between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Fraunhofer Research Institution for Additive Manufacturing Technologies IAPT began simply enough: with all of the advances in 3D printing, would it be possible to manufacture the entire suspension system using additive manufacturing alone?

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In the end, the answer was a remarkable, first-of-its-kind additively manufactured wheel carrier, with an integrated brake caliper, that can be implemented into series production for luxury and sports cars. The eye-catching, wheel carrier with integrated brake caliper, manufactured as one piece using AM.

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Typically, suspension systems are an assembly of several critical components, including the brake caliper, wheel carrier, hydraulics, heat shield etc., held together by screws, seals and washers, all made through a complex, multi-step, time-consuming process. In this case, the suspension part was originally made up of 12 components. By using AM, the part assembly was consolidated as one-piece and […]

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