Carbon, Ford Collaboration Unveils AM Parts at Additive Manufacturing Workshop for Automotive

Carbon has unveiled the first digitally manufactured polymer parts in production for Ford Motor Company. The parts include Ford Focus HVAC lever arm service parts, Ford F-150 Raptor auxiliary plugs, and Ford Mustang GT500 electric parking brake brackets. The companies jointly presented these use cases at the Additive Manufacturing Workshop for Automotive (AMWA) at the 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Michigan.

Ford, which recently announced the opening of its Advanced Manufacturing Center in Redford, Michigan, has expanded its collaboration with Carbon to design and produce several digitally manufactured, end-use parts using Carbon’s robust and reliable printers, digital light synthesis (DLS) technology, and epoxy (EPX) 82 material. Carbon’s durable EPX 82 material passed Ford’s performance standards and withstood requirements such as interior weathering, short- and long-term heat exposures, UV stability, fluid and chemical resistance, flammability (ISO 3795), and fogging (SAEJ1756), for the selected applications.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Ford Motor Company and are excited about the many opportunities to leverage the power of digital manufacturing to deliver durable, end-use parts with similar—or better—properties as injection molded parts,” says Dr. Joseph DeSimone, CEO and co-founder of Carbon. “The automotive industry shows significant promise for using digital fabrication at scale, and our work with Ford is a perfect example of the kind of innovation you can achieve when you design on the means of production.”