BMW is one of the first companies in the world to implement 3D printing. The beginnings of the German giant’s adventure with the additive manufacturing industry date back to the early 1990s, when the company purchased its first SLA photopolymer 3D printer from EOS – a company that at the beginning of its activity specialized in the production of machines of this type. Now BMW is once again in the vanguard, announcing a patent application for bucket seats for cars, produced in one piece using 3D printers.
The patent was filed with the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) under the heading “additive component manufacturing process”. The patent application describes how the company could print bucket seats and other automotive components in a single production process.
Until now, car manufacturers have struggled to produce both a strong frame and a comfortable cushion from a single material in a single process. In the case of 3D printing, this limited the use of this method only to the production of seat cushions, and traditional production methods were necessary to create the frame (e.g. carbon fiber) and upholstery. However, BMW may have found a way to provide all the comforts and protection of a traditional seat while reducing manufacturing costs as well as lowering the overall weight of the seats.
The new BMW seating concept would use a combination of tight trusses where the seat needs stiffness to support the frame, and loose trusses where the seat needs to be soft and comfortable. This combination also gives BMW flexibility in customizing the design and allows each seat to be made to individual customer preferences.
BMW also claims that it could also apply this technology to the production of armrests, steering wheels and trim elements, which were traditionally made of foam. The patent fits into BMW’s broader goals and could help the company create the first fully automated production line using all parts printed on 3D printers. BMW is already halfway to that goal with its metal 3D printing production line, and this new patent would help the company make the remaining soft components.
Source: www.dpma.de via www.carbuzz.com
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