Rivian and Ford Expand 3D Printing to Cut Costs and Speed Production

According to CNBC, Rivian Automotive and Ford Motor are expanding 3D printing across their manufacturing operations to reduce costs and shorten production times. Rivian has spent more than $5 million on 3D-printing machines, with materials costing about $1.7 million annually. Jared Beck, the company’s head of additive manufacturing, said the machines typically pay for themselves within a year and can cut parts-production times from weeks to days or hours. Rivian is also adding machines for printing flexible silicone parts and plans to let employees print parts on demand. Ford’s 3D-printing program has more than 200 machines, and the company expects to have labs at more than 23 plants by the end of this year.