Daimler, the world’s largest truck manufacturer, will use three-dimensional printing (3D) to produce spare parts, the latest example of how digital technologies are radically reshaping automotive manufacturing and its supply chain.
Rather than shipping vehicle parts across the globe, carmakers including BMW and Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) are experimenting with so-called additive manufacturing. This relies on sending a digital blueprint of a component to a printer which creates parts by using lasers to melt powders into plastic, glass, metals and even ceramics.
