UK Police Fleet Adopts 3D Printing for Faster Repairs

The West Midlands Police force in the United Kingdom recently began to introduce 3D printing into its fleet workshops after one technician’s home project revealed a faster and more flexible way to produce custom vehicle components. The move is already helping the force reduce its repair times, cut costs, and return operational vehicles to the road more quickly than ever before.

The idea came from Daniel Starns, a Fleet Services vehicle technician who is tasked with converting commercial vehicles into fully equipped police cars. These conversions often require extensive interior modifications to the car, including new communications systems, computers, and other specialist hardware. Previously, technicians would remove and reshape the existing panels, fabricate new metal mounts, and wait for replacement parts when original components were damaged. While the work was effective, it was often slow and labour-intensive.

An example of a 3D printed part for emergency lights on the radiator grille of a new cruiser. (Credit: West Midlands Police)

While experimenting on his personal 3D printer, Starns realised that he could replicate and customise many of the parts the force had to routinely adjust. He first began to test this new method using measurements for the interior panels and fittings. He would produce prototype pieces in plastic instead of reshaping the original components. The early prints helped to provide a precise match and offered a more consistent finish than manual fabrication.