Volkswagen Autoeuropa nets parts savings with Ultimaker 3D printers
![larry-dignan-eic.jpg](https://www.zdnet.com/a/img/resize/ad5eaccb545ef683588243a9891d5f678df042df/2017/04/26/eb462fe7-e39e-43ba-abbd-c4ca2442306e/larry-dignan-eic.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&frame=1&height=192&width=192)
![ultimakervw4.png](https://www.zdnet.com/a/img/resize/ec98fa59ff7138c434c9f99481d817687b93c563/2017/06/20/454a889e-6266-49e5-80a1-ee239d913c52/ultimakervw4.png?auto=webp&width=1280)
Volkswagen said it has used systems from 3D printing company Ultimaker to design and print 1,000 parts in the last year to net cost savings.
Ultimaker, which is an open-source 3D printer maker, said Volkswagen Autoeuropa has created a bevy of custom parts with a set of Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker 2+ printers.
Volkswagen Autoeuropa specializes in engineering, innovation, and developing new car models. Volkswagen Autoeuropa launches new models for the automaker. Ultimaker is used for gauges, jigs, and fixtures in a project that started in 2014.
Automakers and aircraft makers highlight how 3D printing and additive manufacturing techniques are going mainstream. Read also: Additive manufacturing firms gear up for 3D-printed parts race in aviation | HP expands its 3D printing, additive manufacturing footprint in Asia Pacific
For Volkswagen Autoeuropa, the Ultimaker systems meant the company could produce parts in-house instead of sourcing them. Volkswagen Autoeuropa's Portugal-based plant produces 100,000 cars a year.
As for the returns on investment, Volkswagen Autoeuropa estimates that it saved $160,000 in 2016 with $200,000 expected in 2017. The benefits are customization, easy revisions, a 40-percent to 90-percent reduction in lead-time and low cost to start up.
Here are some specifics on returns on certain parts:
Related stories:
Stratasys demos 3D printing, additive manufacturing systems that take cues from data center
GE, Stratasys, SAP push 3D printing, additive manufacturing | New Stratasys 3D printers enable rapid prototyping from your workspace | Stratasys takes the next step in its software strategy | How GE is using 3D printing to unleash the biggest revolution in large-scale manufacturing in over a century (PDF version) | Bioprinting bones and muscles: The inkjet cell printers shaping the future of transplants | 3D Systems unveils new 3D printer, materials, and software | 3D printing hands on: Understanding the difference between Delta and Cartesian printers | New Stratasys 3D printers enable rapid prototyping from your workspace |