Durga PrabhuFord and HP have now joined hands to promote sustainability and recycle the 3D printed waste parts into vehicle parts. For the first time such as experiment has been conducted in the industry and both the companies are all set to be a model example to promote this cause. This project is hoped to increase attentiveness towards sustainability in the vehicle industry.
The companies are planning on using 3D printed powders and parts, and turning them into injection molded vehicle parts. The Super Duty F – 250 trucks are already being made out of such recycled parts. This method will help the companies to get rid of all the waste involved since the 3D printers are equipped with recycling strategies which enables them to reuse majority of the waste produced.
Image Credits: Ford Media Center
The companies claim that these injection molded parts are not only a good option for the environment but are also able to keep up with the quality and durability standards which the customers expect. These parts are said to contain better chemical and moisture resistance. Keeping in mind that these are recycled parts, they are 7% lighter and cost 10% lesser.
This entire process took less than a year to implement. With that, Ford now wants to work with HP to continue reusing the waste parts into vehicle components. This could be ground breaking discovery in the field of sustainability and both the companies are optimistic to achieve it.
Debbie Mielewsky, Ford technical fellow on Sustainability said, “Finding new ways to work with sustainable materials, reducing waste and leading the development of the circular economy are passions at Ford. Many companies are finding great uses for 3D printing technologies, but, together with HP, we’re the first to find a high-value application for waste powder that likely would have gone to landfill, transforming it into functional and durable auto parts.”
With the deteriorating quality of the environment, the companies are more and more getting inclined towards sustainability. It could be shifting to using cleaner and environment friendly sources of energy or reusing and recycling the waste parts generated. With the big names in the industry already being associated with the concept, it can be a welcome sign for those operating on the middle and small scale to follow suite.
Along with HP, three more companies were involved in order to make this plan come into reality. The first one being SmileDirectClub, a next gen oral care company which is offering the first MedTech platform for straightening of teeth. The company has more than 60 HP 3D printers capable of producing more than 40,000 aligners a day.
The second company is Lavergne which is also the recycling partner for HP. This company is responsible for recycling Ford’s HP 3D Printers into high quality plastic pallets. And the third one is ARaymond, also serves as a supplier for Ford, which designs, engineers and manufactures assembly systems.
Ford is currently aiming towards achieving 100 percent sustainable materials for its vehicles. They are already in the process of developing new applications and experimenting with different materials and processes which can be used for 3D printing. This includes a list of materials such as filaments, sand, powders and liquid vat polymerization. Once fully implemented, Ford’s technology could be considered as a game changer in the sustainable development cause.