The BMW Group has appointed Timo Göbel as the brand new head of its Additive Manufacturing Campus (AMC), specializing in additional integration of 3D printing expertise throughout car manufacturing. Göbel brings expertise from supplies engineering and software improvement, together with earlier work at Rolls-Royce the place he advocated for additive manufacturing processes.
BMW at the moment makes use of 3D-printed elements throughout all phases of auto improvement, from prototypes to collection manufacturing and aftermarket elements. The expertise is deployed in manufacturing amenities worldwide and helps all BMW Group manufacturers, together with MINI, BMW, Rolls-Royce, and BMW Motorrad. For the reason that AMC started operations, greater than 1.6 million elements have been manufactured, with a further 100,000 elements produced yearly at car crops globally.
The corporate plans to scale operations by means of automated, digitally networked course of chains and open-material methods that combine with current manufacturing infrastructure. Within the metals section, BMW is introducing a brand new era of steel 3D printers and plans to combine Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) expertise. WAAM is already established in prototype improvement, with car testing underway since 2025 and collection manufacturing of preliminary elements deliberate from 2027.
BMW’s additive manufacturing timeline started in 1990-1991 with its first tools improvement and prototype elements manufacturing. Key milestones embrace the primary collection manufacturing of polymer elements in 2012 with the Rolls-Royce Phantom, adopted by steel elements in 2017 with the BMW i8 Roadster. The devoted AMC facility opened in 2020 in Oberschleißheim, consolidating manufacturing, analysis, and coaching operations.
Supply: press.bmwgroup.com