GM is turning to 3D printing to keep Tahoe production on track, printing some 60,000 parts as supply chain issues impact manufacturing.
The global semiconductor shortage and supply chain issues have been particularly difficult on automakers. GM, Ford, Toyota, Opel, and others have all experienced production issues. According to CNET, GM is turning to 3D printing to create 60,000 parts in a fraction of the time it would otherwise require.
GM’s management had the foresight to invest heavily in the tech in 2020, establishing the Additive Industralization Center using 15,000 square feet of space as a home for the 3D printing operation. The tech’s time to shine came roughly a year later, thanks to a change engineers made to the 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe. The change involved a new “spoiler closeout seal” to fill a gap in the SUV’s rear, with each of the 30,000 Tahoes in production needing two.
Thanks to 3D printing, GM was able to design and print all 60,000 parts in just five weeks, half the time traditional injection-molding would have taken.
With ongoing advances in the technology, 3D printing will no doubt play an increasingly important role in manufacturing across a range of industries.
