Ford Partners with Carbon3D for Continuous Liquid Interface Production Technology

Ford Motor Company has partnered with Carbon3D to innovate materials and design products using CLIP (Continuous Liquid Interface Production) technology. One of the big designs Ford and Carbon3D are working on is a customized steering wheel, designed to match the grip of your hand. Imagine if you had a steering wheel made just for you, one that fits like a glove. It would be the perfect size and shape, with all the right grooves in the right places.

The idea for the steering wheel was inspired by the movie Terminator 2. In the movie, T-1000 was crafted out of liquid metal and could transform into the shape of different objects and people. CEO Joseph DeSimone was inspired, thinking that all 3D objects should have the ability to morph.

“Carbon3D’s CLIP technology has allowed us to realize our need for high-speed, high-quality printing of actual automotive-grade parts,”

explained Group Vice President of Global Product Development and Chief Technology Officer, Raj Nair.

“We are excited to further our relationship and look forward to innovating together to make 3D manufacturing a reality.”

For Ford, they feel like this is just the first step in the relationship. Down the road, consumers could be seeing 3D printing used for custom car seats and cup holders. The possibilities are endless.

Carbon3D is a start-up company that has made great strides in recent years. Ford picked them as their designer due to the fact that they can produce the customized products much faster than what’s currently available. They currently have $51 million in funding from Sequoia Capital and Silver Lake Kraftwerk, as well as Autodesk’s Spark Investment Fund

The 3D printing market in general has taken off over the last decade. Certain analysts are projecting it to be worth $16.2 billion in less than three years.

Via our proprietary website ASAP NSN Parts, ASAP Semiconductor is a leading supplier of Ford motor company products. If you are interested in a part, please feel free to contact our knowledgeable sales staff at sales@asap-nsnparts.com or 1-714-705-4780 for a quote.

1. john parker
2. Posted on June 29, 2015
electromechanical components

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