2020 Ford Mustang Will Have 3D-Printed Brake Parts

REDFORD, MI—Ford Motor Co. announced last week that its 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 will have two 3D-printed brake components. The announcement was made at the automaker's new $45 million Advanced Manufacturing Center here, reports MotorAuthority.com.

The new GT500 won't be the first Ford to include a 3D-printed part, however. In China, the company's F-150 Raptor includes an interior component sourced from a 3D printer. And, at the automaker's Michigan Assembly Plant, 3D printers helped made sure that the 2019 Ranger production launched on time and validate quality controls.

Overall, the company operates 90 3D printers to produce parts and tools for production processes. Ford purchased its first 3D printer back in 1988.

The company's Advanced Manufacturing Center houses more than 20 3D printers, and Ford works with 10 different 3D printing companies to develop applications for future vehicles and components. Nylon, sand, and carbon are a few of the materials Ford is experimenting with today. The company says one application under development could save it $2 million per year.

The ASSEMBLY Show South

ASSEMBLY is thrilled to return to the Music City Center in Nashville, TN for The ASSEMBLY Show SOUTH on May 1-2, 2024. This is a booming time for manufacturing and the U.S. South is right in the heart of the action. According to ASSEMBLY’s most recent annual capital spending survey, the South is projected to account for 31 percent of total spending this year, marking the fifth straight year this region has accounted for at least 30 percent of capital spending in the U.S.

In this session, manufacturers will learn how Quality function deployment (QFD) can transform consumers’ qualitative demands into quantitative parameters that will shape the design of their product and, ultimately, their manufacturing process.

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