Bentley has shared the first details of the impact of its $5.5 million investment to double its Additive Manufacturing (AM) capacity at the company's headquarters in Crewe, England.
Said to have already been applied to more than 15,000 components in 2021 alone, the new process utilised advanced technology to 3D print vehicle components, allowing greater personalisation in customer cars.
Bentley states the new technology enables up to a 50% cost saving on parts manufacturing The AM systems convert 3D Computer Aided Design models into physical components and is recognised as one of the fastest developing technologies in the world.
Bentley's innovative research and development team has already identified a wide variety of items to print, including on-the-job assisted tools for manufacturing colleagues, such as lightweight sanding blocks in Bentley's iconic wood shop.
Additionally, historically accurate tooling equipment needed to make parts for the Bentley Blower Continuation model was created, and even face shields provided to the healthcare sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
AM has also been employed to create physical components for several prototype Bentleys, including full-scale powertrain models and aerodynamic wind tunnel models. The advanced techniques have also been used to produce parts for the record-breaking Bentley models that were driven in the demanding Pikes Peak Challenge in America.
The state-of-the-art AM equipment installed enables a 50% cost saving on parts, and by operating around the clock, the facility is capable of producing thousands of components in over 25 different material options. Bentley colleagues from across the company are now being offered training in AM to understand how they can benefit from using the state-of-the-art process in their work.
Said to have already been applied to more than 15,000 components in 2021 alone, the new process utilised advanced technology to 3D print vehicle components, allowing greater personalisation in customer cars.
Bentley's innovative research and development team has already identified a wide variety of items to print, including on-the-job assisted tools for manufacturing colleagues, such as lightweight sanding blocks in Bentley's iconic wood shop.
Additionally, historically accurate tooling equipment needed to make parts for the Bentley Blower Continuation model was created, and even face shields provided to the healthcare sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
AM has also been employed to create physical components for several prototype Bentleys, including full-scale powertrain models and aerodynamic wind tunnel models. The advanced techniques have also been used to produce parts for the record-breaking Bentley models that were driven in the demanding Pikes Peak Challenge in America.
The state-of-the-art AM equipment installed enables a 50% cost saving on parts, and by operating around the clock, the facility is capable of producing thousands of components in over 25 different material options. Bentley colleagues from across the company are now being offered training in AM to understand how they can benefit from using the state-of-the-art process in their work.
