Daily Slideshow: 3D Printing Replacement Parts for Porsche Classics
The German luxury automaker manufacturer has heard the lamentations of classic vehicle owners and is using 3D printing technology to keep Porsches on the road.
Green lighting #3D printing
Classic Porsche vehicles are all the rage for the past few years with prices steadily climbing and leaving would be buyers scrambling to buy one before things get too far out of reach. However, for the ones that are able to source a car, there are certain issues that may rear their head when dealing with a vehicle of a mature status. Classic car parts are not easily sourced. But fear not, Porsche Classic has the solution thanks to technology.
Filling in the gaps
Now don't get me wrong, Porsche Classic currently has around 52,000 parts in its catalog at this current moment. Some are original stock parts remaining from production and others are produced on original tools but the stock is running low.
That's where 3D printing comes into play using a few different methods in order to produce the parts to keep Porsches doing what they do best... perform wonderfully. Recently, a clutch release lever was produced for the 959 supercar with a process that is called "selective laser sintering" as proof of what the company is capable of. Porsche Classic is also testing 20 or so more parts that can be replicated through various 3D printing processes.
One method of production
For those who didn't know, Porsche Classic is the brand's division that is charged solely to the older cars of the marque. Whether it's plastic or steel, this new 3D method of reproducing a part to its correct spec is extremely faster and far less expensive to reproduce a part to the correct spec than rebooting an old production line.
When it comes to metal parts Porsche uses the selective laser melting. First, a layer of powdered steel is placed on a plat before a light beam melts the powder to the desired shape. That process is repeated over and over until the part is completely fabricated.
Production method 2
When it comes to using plastic, the method of selective laser sintering that I mentioned previously gets to come off the bench. This process is not the same as the fused deposition modeling that is prevalent in most desktop-based 3D printers. With this method that Porsche is using, a material is heated right below its melting point and a laser fuses that material together. The process is more expensive and the heating intensity is way too tricky to be used for basic consumer use.
Porsche isn't the only one using 3D printing for reproducing components as Mercedes-Benz and Ford have already been experimenting with the technology as well for their own hard to source parts. The bulk of the work that goes into producing OEM spec parts is that needed piece has to be either totally redesigned in three dimensions or laser scanned and scrutinized to ensure a perfect reproduction.
More to come
In a press statement, Porsche said: "All parts that are produced using the 3D printing process meet the requirements in terms of absolute fidelity to the original specifications — both from a technical and a visual perspective."
There are another 20 parts planned for the forthcoming future as the pilot program continues for Porsche. The run has the potential to reach across the planet affecting a large portion of owners who might be at their wit's end trying to get parts that run through the manufacturer's product range.
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