Major automakers including Ford, Rivian, and General Motors are expanding their use of 3D printing to cut production costs, speed up vehicle manufacturing, and increase assembly line flexibility, according to a report by indiaweekly. Also known as additive manufacturing, the technology creates items layer by layer from digital files using materials such as plastics, composites, ceramics, and metals to form parts, prototype models, and plant tools.
What happened: Automakers scale additive manufacturing
While additive manufacturing has existed for decades, lower adoption barriers and improvements in raw materials are enabling carmakers to integrate 3D printing deeper into their operations. Automakers are deploying the technology for fast-turnaround tools, vehicle components, and research testing.
According to indiaweekly, major vehicle manufacturers are applying 3D printing across several key areas:
Rivian: The electric vehicle maker has spent more than $5 million on 3D-printing machines, while its annual spending on materials has grown to approximately $1.7 million.
Ford: The company relies on roughly two dozen 3D printing machines at its Dearborn, Michigan facility to produce thousands of tools for its F-150 assembly line.
General Motors: GM uses 135 3D-printed components in its low-volume Cadillac Celestiq and incorporates additive manufacturing into performance cars like its Cadillac Blackwing sedans.
How Rivian, Ford, and GM use 3D printing
Automakers are using 3D printing to resolve operational bottlenecks and lower supplier reliance. Jonathan Dankenbring, Rivian's senior manager of prototype manufacturing, told indiaweekly that the company's 3D printers typically pay for themselves within a year. Rivian set up a group of printers at its plant in Normal, Illinois, allowing employees to manufacture parts on demand. Components that previously required weeks to arrive from external suppliers can now be produced in days or hours, saving millions of dollars.
Rivian has printed electric motor models for fluid testing, screw guides, stamping press inserts, and trim pieces to fill gaps in early vehicle builds. Dankenbring emphasized that speed remains the primary benefit for the business.
At Ford's plant in Dearborn, Michigan, former 3D-printing lab manager Gregory Foresi explained that employees order required parts via a dedicated app. Ford even introduced a specialized vending machine stocked with 3D-printed tools for F-150 pickup truck production, reducing storage demands in lab facilities. The automaker has produced torque bit sockets, hood jackers, and adhesive-smoothing hand tools. In one instance, Ford used a 3D-printed temporary replacement for a large machining wheel to keep an assembly line running during supply chain delays.
General Motors has deployed industrial printers from Stratasys across its manufacturing facilities. Fadi Abro, senior global director of automotive and mobility at Stratasys, said GM offers a template for standardizing additive manufacturing before scaling its deployment. GM's uses range from low-volume luxury builds to custom detailing, such as a manual transmission shifter knob medallion on its sedan models, a segment seeing renewed interest as Gen Z’s sedan surge makes Ford, GM rethink SUVs.
What it means for business and investors
For auto industry executives, investors, and supply chain analysts, expanding 3D printing represents a practical strategy to lower overhead and build manufacturing agility:
Lower tooling and storage costs: Making tools directly inside factories reduces expensive supplier tooling contracts and minimizes the need to store large physical inventories of spare parts.
Bypassing supply chain bottlenecks: Fabricating temporary replacement components on-site keeps assembly lines moving when traditional parts shipments are delayed.
Faster product development: Producing prototype parts in hours instead of weeks lets engineering teams iterate quickly and bring designs to market faster.
What to watch next
As printer speeds advance and material options broaden, industry analysts will watch whether carmakers transition from printing tools and low-volume parts to mass-producing structural components for high-volume vehicle lines. Observers will also track whether other automakers replicate Rivian's strategy of placing localized 3D printer clusters directly inside manufacturing plants.
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