General Motors opens new center dedicated to additive manufacturing

In December 2020, General Motors (GM) announced the opening of a center dedicated to additive manufacturing, joining initiatives spearheaded by BMW and Seat. The Additive Industrialization Center (AIC) is a 1,400 square meter (15,000-square-foot) space that will enable GM to accelerate the development of prototypes, the manufacturing of tools and the production of finished parts.The creation of the center underlines the efforts General Motors has made in pursuing its strategy of integrating additive manufacturing into its daily operations for increased agility and speed in production. Already, one of its divisions, Cadillac, has unveiled two new cars with incorporated 3D printed parts for the first time.

An engineer examines a 3D printer at GM’s Additive Industrialization Center (Photo Credits: Steve Fecht)

Additive manufacturing (AM) is not a new venture for General Motors. The group has been using AM for more than 30 years, notably in the creation of 3D-printed rapid prototypes. Its new AIC center is the culmination of both GM’s experience and investment in 3D printing, allowing the group to bring additive manufacturing into the production realm.

Audley Brown, GM director of Additive Design and Materials Engineering, explains: “The core component of GM’s transformation is becoming a more agile, innovative company, and 3D printing will play a critical role in that mission. Compared to traditional processes, 3D printing can produce parts in a matter of days versus weeks or months at a significantly lower cost.”