UK accident research institute Thatcham Research has joined a new initiative for 3D printing in the automotive industry. The 3D Printing Task Force for the Automotive Collision Repair Industry brings together experts and leaders from the 3D printing and automotive industries. The goal is to drive innovation, share ideas and develop safe as well as regulated practices for automotive 3D printing.
The task force was launched earlier this year at the IBIS USA 2023 conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Thatcham Research, as a nonprofit research center funded by insurers, is now one of the first members. According to a spokesperson for the institute, 3D printing technology is enabling new possibilities and opportunities for automotive innovation.
By pooling expertise, they hope to realize the full potential of 3D printing while ensuring the safety and quality of repair processes, he said. Together, he said, entirely new applications could be identified that would enable breakthrough advances in collision repair. This would range from customized replacement parts to more efficient repair processes.
However, challenges such as industry standards would also need to be addressed to ensure quality assurance and compliance. According to Thatcham Research, one goal of the task force is to establish best practices and processes for 3D printing in vehicle repair. This is to create a safe and regulated framework that meets the highest safety and sustainability standards.
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