3D printing for auto service repairs

Feb. 20, 2015
The use of 3D printers is exploding in industry and among consumers. The auto industry uses the technology for prototyping, but a new start-up is trying to expand one-off parts printing to auto repair shops.

The use of 3D printers is exploding in industry and among consumers. The auto industry uses the technology for prototyping, but a new start-up is trying to expand one-off parts printing to auto repair shops.

Print-A-Part will offer access to 3D print files for small parts like screws, bolts and washers so that companies can download them and print them at their own facility. Repairers could potentially produce their own small, plastic parts in minutes or hours (depending on the complexity).

The company is a division of Alacrity Engineering, a technology services and equipment-moving company based in New York. According to the company, a team of company and freelance designers have generated the 3D designs that can be downloaded via the service.

Gare Henderson, Print-A-Part's head design engineer and one of Alacrity's co-founders, says the idea for the printing service emerged from the company's own internal needs. "Alacrity provides technology moving services for factories, restaurants and other businesses, and as part of that process we found that in some cases we needed some small parts to complete a project," Henderson says. "We would have to wait a long time on those parts, but this is a very short notice business. So we started printing our own parts in-house with a 3D printer."

Customers pay a fee for the 3D designs. They can then download a part design in an STL file format that can be printed out on a variety of 3D printers. The parts are either printed as one single unit, or in some cases as a sheet of several screws or washers. Depending on the agreement, the file can be used for printing a set number of times before it expires.

Henderson says the company is still working out the details of the business model. Right now, Print-A-Part offers limited-use licenses that allow users to access the file five times.

The company is focusing on businesses that do assembly work, including auto repair shops, prosthetics companies and other light manufacturing businesses.

"Our ultimate goal is to get into larger government and military contracts," Henderson says. "If a part breaks and you don't have time to go back to base to get that part, you can print it out. We're primarily focusing on industrial parts now, but we will meet whatever demand our customers have."

Ease of use is a critical part of the service. According to Henderson, the company is making the files as easy to use as possible.

"Our motto is 'no geeks or geniuses required,'" he says. "There are plenty of places to download 3D files on the Web, but they all assume a certain level of technical competence, or software is needed to convert the files for rendering. With our service, you can download the file onto a memory stick and plug it directly into a printer, even a relatively inexpensive one."

The STL (stereolithography) file format is supported by most CAD software and is commonly used for prototyping and computer aided manufacturing.

Quality of the printed parts will vary based on the 3D printer, so users will have to match the requirements of the part to the printer. Cheap desktop 3D printers can create most parts, but if there are threads or small details that must be printed precisely, a more expensive machine will be required. "There are $1,500 units out there, though, that will let you generate parts that will be pretty darn close to what you get if you order them from a bolt or screw shop," Henderson says. "What matters is the method of printing."

For screws that would be used to hold a door panel in place, for example, a lower cost printer could fit the bill. But if the item were load bearing, then you would need a more expensive printer (and more advanced materials) to print the part. "Resin-based printers, for example, are going to be more accurate in terms of representing the fine threading on a bolt or a screw," Henderson says.

3D printing expands in auto sector

While it may be new to the aftermarket, 3D printing is well established among automotive OEMs. According to a recent report from SmarTech, the auto industry's use of 3D printing will grow form $267 million to $1.25 billion by 2019, a CAGR of nearly 25 percent. That rate could continue well into 2023.

In September at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS), auto design collective Local Motors printed an entire vehicle (the Strati) on the show floor over five days. The group printed the chassis, body, seats and other components in several large pieces, and then connected them to the drive, tires and other mechanical parts.

Currently, automakers use 3D printing for prototyping, but printed parts will eventually be a larger part of the finished vehicle. Parts can now be printed cheaply and inexpensively for use in prototype vehicles and in concept cars.

The SmarTech report, "Additive Manufacturing Opportunities in the Automotive Industry: A 10 Year Forecast," includes the potential for revenue generation that 3D printing presents, as well as a forecast of materials that will be used in the industry.

According to the report, the auto industry produces more than 100,000 prototype parts and additively manufactured molds each year. With manufacturers expanding the use of the technology, revenues from the sale of 3D printers to auto makers will reach $586 million by 2019, with material sales reaching $376 million.

While 3D printing would be too slow for mss production of vehicles, it could enable mass customization of individual vehicles, as well the manufacture of replacement parts at the point of use, or even the creation of specialty or custom accessories. 3D printing also makes it easier and cheaper to create molds, dies and tooling.

Henderson anticipates that Print-A-Part will face competition from OEMs in the future, once manufacturers are able to sort out the business model for providing part designs to repairers or distributors.

"But a company like ours has some built-in advantages in terms of having our own designers and experience in 3D printing," Henderson says. "We can support the shops and help them determine what printer to buy. That's the kind of thing an automotive manufacturer isn't going to have experience with."

The company may eventually offer downloadable parts kits for specific vehicles (i.e., for restoration work on vintage cars), and plans to offer parts for aerospace and marine applications in the future.

"We also have a section on our website where people can make requests, and we've gotten quite a few of those," Henderson says.

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