Hyundai and Kia establish first standalone additive manufacturing site
Hyundai Motor is continuing to grow its additive manufacturing work in South Korea. Together with Kia, of which Hyundai is a major shareholder, the company has opened an Additive Manufacturing Solution Center (AMSC) at Hyundai’s Namyang Research and Development Center. It is the group’s first facility built specifically for 3D printing research and production.
The center allows engineers to move parts straight from digital design to finished components, eliminating the need for molds, dies, and tooling.
The AMSC runs both polymer- and metal-based AM processes. Polymer 3D printing processes include Digital Light Processing and Stereolithography for fine, detailed components, and Polymer Powder Bed Fusion. For metal applications, the center relies on Metal Powder Bed Fusion (Metal PBF) and Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technologies.
Automotive World’s observation that nearly three decades passed between Hyundai’s first industrial 3D printer and the opening of a dedicated AM facility highlights how slow internal scaling can be at an automotive OEM. And it’s not surprising: very few carmakers have managed to industrialize AM quickly. Toyota is another example: AM has progressed there gradually. This shows that while OEMs adopt AM early, turning it into true production infrastructure remains a long, cautious process.
From design to validation
“We are rapidly internalizing additive manufacturing technologies through a growing range of applications across the Group. Beyond vehicle components, we are expanding their use in high-value applications such as equipment consumables and manufacturing tools,” Hanwoo On, Senior Manager of the Additive Manufacturing Solutions Team, states.
The AMSC proves that Hyundai Motor and Kia can physically build whatever its designers imagine. But as modern cars shift toward software-defined vehicles (SDVs), the hardware is only half the battle.
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