BMW Group is set to begin series production with wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) from next year and will launch a new vehicle featuring its first WAAM 3D printed component.
In a conversation with TCT, BMW Group's Head of Additive Manufacturing Timo Göbel shared how WAAM offers advantages for large-scale metal components, particularly speed and high deposition rates, when compared to more established AM processes like laser powder bed fusion.
While Göbel couldn't share what the specific part will be, he did confirm it is currently undergoing final qualification steps ready for 2027.
"We use WAAM always for structural aluminium components. It has a really favourable stiffness to weight ratio. That's why we used it," Göbel explained. "We are between 30% and 40% lighter than a standard die-cast aluminium part. So that's a big advantage. Overall, we are cheaper and lighter. Right now, we are still in the final steps of qualification but the car the component will go into will be launched next year."
BMW has highlighted WAAM as a particular area of interest for producing large-scale metal components. The company has been exploring the technology since 2015 and began building test components with an MX3D production cell in 2021.
"It's a really neat and special technology, and there are a lot of things you have to look at," Göbel told TCT. "First, WAAM offers particular advantages for large metal components and high deposition rates over laser powder bed fusion laser, which is too slow and too expensive if you have such a big part. So, if the environment is good enough and the demand on the part is suitable, you are much faster with WAAM."
Laura Griffiths
Since 2020, over 1.6 million 3D printed parts have come out of the BMW's Additive Manufacturing Campus (AMC), with a further 100,000 produced annually at other vehicle plants. Most recently, the technology has been used to support the development and validation of Neue Klasse vehicles and latest-generation electric drive. WAAM forms part of BMW's recently announced plans to invest in new systems, larger build volumes and digitally connected process chains. The company said it believes it will see more opportunities for larger, functional components with improved properties, produced more flexibly and in less time, without the need for traditional tooling.
"When we qualify bigger parts, we always try to save costs compared to traditional technologies," Göbel told TCT. "If the part is bigger, the value is higher. Very simple. So, if you go for bigger parts, we will be better off with our WAAM technology than aluminium die casting. And the bigger the part is, the more value we can give. So that's the reason why we look for bigger components. Of course, it's more challenging because for the production process, quality assurance, everything is more difficult. But with this first WAAM application, we found a pretty big part and we're very proud of that. We always try to find the next part, even bigger parts, because from the process itself, it doesn't count too much if it's getting bigger, but the problem is, sooner or later, a normal die cast system is cheaper."
