3D printing is one of several disruptive
technologies making a foray into the automotive industry. If you didn’t know,
3D printing (alternatively called “additive manufacturing”) is a process that
utilizes a computer-controlled extrusion head to accrete raw material (usually
plastic) into some predetermined form. Basically, a 3D printer can turn a
digitized design into a physical object.
This technology is a huge boon for car lovers. The
manufacturing process, once a costly and time-intensive burden, is quickly
becoming accessible to the layman. Automotive culture is still coming to grips
with the sheer number of possibilities that 3D printing represents. Jay Leno ,
for example, uses his 3D printer to create hard-to-find replacement parts for
his vast collection of vintage automobiles.
