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.

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The eye-catching, wheel carrier with integrated brake caliper, manufactured as one piece using AM. Image courtesy of FCA 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 In this case, the suspension part was originally made up of 12 components.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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