TECHNOLOGY
Printer drivers come to the fore
Daimler Buses is using 3D printing to produce some small batch components at the request of customers
The concept of 3D printing is not new, but many are still not aware of just how many companies are making use of the technology. The tip of the nosecone on the Bloodhound supersonic car that will attempt to break the world land speed record in SA was printed on a 3D printer. The Red Bull F1 team uses a 3D printer back at its base in Milton Keynes, England to print parts that need to be flown in at the last minute for a race weekend. Daimler Buses is one of the latest to announced that it is exploiting the benefits of 3D printing to meet customers’ special requirements and produce small batches and replacement parts for the Mercedes-Benz and Setra brands. Currently, the company says it is already possible to print complex parts located in the bus interior in a single step, which formerly consisted of several. "In the medium term, we see digital production technologies as harbouring vast potential to enable us to address market and customer requirements in a flexible manner while at t...
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