[MeshugeMikey]

“ord has been at the forefront of 3D printing for 25 years and was involved with the invention of 3D printing in the 1980s. In 1988, Ford purchased the third 3D printer ever made”

Thanks.

hasnt al gore taken credit for this yet??

[prisoner6]

I ca’t get my head around printing things made of metal. Cnc machining, plasma or water cutting sure. Not printing.

[Hardastarboard]

Plastic engine covers for hot cars are of the devil. How boring.

[dragnet2]

Ford F-150, America’s best selling vehicle for almost 30 years...

[GeronL]

China must hate where this is going

[Lion Den Dan]

I hope Ford can print a section of lower intestine with an orfice large enough to accept their crap. My pride and joy in 2004 F350 4 door 6.0L truck has been a $42000 11 month truck. That is to say it has averaged 30 days a year in the shop at an average cost of $1800 per visit. Never again. Don’t know what the next one will be but it won’t be Ford. This one has been in the shop since August and might come home in time for New Years.

[Sacajaweau]

Give me manual windows & no anti lock brakes. I’m tired of paying big bucks to repair elec windows and this absolutely unnecessary, crappy brake system.

[neefer]

In 1988, Ford purchased the third 3D printer ever made.

[SamAdams76]

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Ping

[taildragger]

It's all the rage now, back in the day it was Stereo-Lithography made from a vat of plastic goop with the color of ginger ale and a laser printed layer after layer. Some used laminated sheets of paper, etc but we are now using printer heads to do the same thing as the standard if you will for additive technologies.

I Worked on some small parts that were "Design Studies" for Ford in the mid 90's from 3D Models we made. Yes it was cheaper and yes overall programs ran in those big numbers they mentioned. My guess is today those overall program dollars are much, much less..

[McGruff]

I find the technology hard to believe but

Need a last minute Christmas gift? How about a $12,000 3D printed gun?

I guess it works.

[Stingray]

What’s neat about this tech is that you don’t need an expensive CAD program to use them. Any 3D software will do (Lightwave 3D, Modo, Maya, Max, etc.) as long as there are printer drivers for the software. The rules are that the model has to be sized to a scale the printer can actually handle, and there can’t be any open or overlapping polygons in the model. In other words, the mesh has to be perfectly “clean.”

[Right Wing Assault]

I think they are confusing rapid prototyping of parts during development.

It is a long road to millions of them coming out the same way they come out of an office copier.

[arthurus]

I can imagine car parts being made right there in the parts store.

[Refugee From NYC]

I'm holding out 'till the 3D printer from "The Fifth Element," using DNA input comes out.