BMW
WAAM production process
The BMW Group says it is planning to use Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) for its future production vehicles as it continues trials of the metal 3D printing process at its Additive Manufacturing Campus in Oberschleißheim.
The automaker has been exploring WAAM technology since 2015 and building test components with an MX3D production cell since 2021. BMW says its WAAM adoption is still in its early stages but has already undergone extensive testing with components such as a suspension strut support, which is being compared with the series production component made from aluminium pressure die-casting. The next stage will be to test components in the vehicle, which BMW says will commence ‘in the foreseeable future.’
"In this early stage it is already clear that the WAAM process can result in lower emissions in the production process. The lower weight of the components, their advantageous material usage ratio, and the option to use renewable energy means that the components can be produced more efficiently," said Jens Ertel, Head of BMW Additive Manufacturing.
WAAM technology is a direct energy deposition process which uses a robotic welding arm and wire feedstock to additively build metal parts. Last year, Lincoln Electric shared how it used the technology to build a large hydraulic cylinder within six weeks, and Cranfield University completed a feasibility and reliability study on WAAM-made aircraft landing gear. While WAAM doesn’t provide the same fine detail resolution as laser powder bed fusion, for example, WAAM allows for larger parts to be built more quickly, from a wide range of readily available alloys, which can then be precision machined in critical areas. BMW says it plans to take those advantages and deploy generative design to deliver new component designs in the body, drive, and chassis areas, as well as tools.
Karol Virsik, Head of BMW Group Vehicle Research added: "It’s impressive to see how WAAM technology has developed from research to become a flexible tool for not only test components but also series production components. The use of generative design methods enables us to make full use of design freedom and thus the potential of the technology. That was unthinkable just a few years ago."
BMW
Jens Ertel, Head of BMW Additive Manufacturing, Karol Virsik, Head of BMW Group Vehicle Research
BMW is already a frontrunner in the automotive industry for the adoption of 3D printing for production components and has continued to invest heavily in its in-house capabilities. Back in 2018, the BMW i8 Roadster featured the first metal 3D printed parts on a commercial vehicle, and its MINI Yours Customised campaign used polymer 3D printing to allow customers to add personalised icons and fascia to their cars. Last year saw ExOne reveal BMW's use of its binder jet technology to build its Series 3 & Series 4 engine cores, and a joint three-year project between BMW, EOS, Dyemansion and Grenzebach to automate an AM production line for polymer parts at scale declared a success.
BMW is initially planning to centralise its WAAM production in Oberschleißheim but says production at other locations and by suppliers could be possible in future. It also sees a future where individual components could be produced directly on the assembly line without needing new tools.
