Ford and Hp have joined forces to lead the development of circular economy projects and look for ways to make 3D printing processes even more efficient in the automotive industry. Two other companies from completely different industries, SmileDirectClub, an oral hygiene company that manufactures aligners with 3D printing systems in the U.S., and plastic resin manufacturer Lavergne, an HP partner, have also been involved in the project.
The 3D printers are already designed to be highly efficient and minimize waste. The four companies worked by trying to optimize the use of circular material inputs, innovatively reusing waste powders and used 3D printed parts, such as dental appliances recovered by the oral hygiene company and turned into high-quality recycled plastic pellets by Lavergne, with the goal of closing the loop by producing injection-molded vehicle components.
The recycled materials are being used to produce fuel line clips installed on Ford’s F-250 Super Duty trucks, without compromising durability and quality standards. In fact, the parts have been found to be better in chemical and moisture resistance than conventional versions, are 7% lighter and cost 10% less.

Source and image: media.ford.com

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