3D printing isn’t a novelty anymore-as shown here, it’s capable of making world-class performance parts for race engines. Alongside all the complex electronics required to run the high-powered engine and all-wheel-drive system, it features the single largest 3D printed metal component ever fitted to a wheeled vehicle. The solution-more boost-is simple on paper, but required an intake manifold capable of withstanding the greater pressures associated with cramming extra air into the engine. Ford Performance’s answer to the quandary was to contract the Digital Additive Production Institute of German technical college RWTH Aachen, which advised the automaker on how to turn its conceptual manifold into a reality using additive manufacturing-known better as 3D printing. “The manifold has a complex web‑like structure that couldn’t be made using traditional manufacturing methods. We ended up dissolving the support systems in acid.” Automakers and aftermarket suppliers alike are turning to 3D printing for more parts as the technology matures. General Motors is readying a handful of cutting-edge components manufactured using 3D printing for use in low-volume vehicle applications, while wheel manufacturer HRE has demonstrated that additive manufacturing can be used to create elaborately designed titanium wheels for use on exotic cars.

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