Since the onset of the recession, American automotive manufacturers have been struggling to stay above water. Now, as the economy is looking up, the outlook is starting to improve for our domestic cars. Leading the way out of the recession is the surprising success story of Ford, which has apparently gone a long way by making use of the same technology you can benefit from at our 3D printing company in Seattle.
Ford took to 3D printing technology back in the early months of 2013, embracing the great time-and-money-saving potential of printing out prototype parts. Processes that once took weeks are now being done in scant days or hours. The company gradually realized that literally every part of the car could be prototyped via additive manufacturing. Currently, Ford is producing roughly 20,000 parts with their 3D printers in a single year from only one of their five prototyping centers, cutting down dramatically on overhead costs and production times.
Though Ford’s recovery can probably be attributed to several factors, the fact that it was the first US automotive company to adopt such practices cannot be ignored. We look forward to seeing how the other big car companies take to the technology, and how it will continue to move the industry forward in the future.
