Azoth 3D printed first metal part for General Motors’ production vehicle

Azoth, an AM company that developed the TOMO® business model to transform physical inventory into digital inventory, has just produced its first metal 3D printed part using binder jetting.

Produced for General Motors (GM) production vehicle, the 3D printed medallion sits on the manual shifter knob of the new 2022 Cadillac Blackwing V-series model. When it opens its new additive manufacturing center, the car manufacturer had also revealed the various production vehicles that will include 3D printed parts and the Cadillac Blackwing V-series model was part of it.

However, what we did not know, is that given its in-house AM capabilities, the company would rely on an external parts producer for a production part.  The Cadillac Blackwing V-series model features a manual transmission as well as other 3D printed parts produced by General Motors.

With Azoth by its side, a company that has built expertise in the metal binder jetting space, GM has been able to save time and costs for producing parts while passing all Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) requirements.

Binder jetting enables quantities at the speeds and quality levels demanded by automotive production,” Azoth General Manager and Co-Founder Cody Cochran said. “We use a disruptive process that is more efficient than other technologies. We can print the prototype of a part every five or six days, while other processes and technology can take three to six months building molds, retooling and going through multiple suppliers.

“It is exciting to work with a forward-thinking company like GM who understands the benefits that additive manufacturing brings to production. I believe this is a breakthrough application for the 3D printing industry and a major win for metal binder jetting, proving this is a production ready process,” he said.

The new Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing as well as the CT5-V Blackwing features the manual transmission, a popular feature for driving enthusiasts.

In a press release issued late last year, Cadillac said that by leveraging additive manufacturing, it was able to reduce costs and waste when developing the manual transmission.

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