Honda Cars India To Enter Industry 4.0 With 3D Printing

3D printing is no longer a new aspect in automotive manufacturing. A lot of large carmakers in the world such as Audi, Porsche, Rolls Royce and many more are using or closely approaching 3D printing. Honda is one of the leading companies adopting 3D printing in their welding shop of its manufacturing units in India with the vision toward the thorough application in its manufacturing divisions and assembly lines.

Honda is the pioneer in using 3D Printing Technology in their production line

3D printing can be defined as a form of additive manufacturing technology in order to create a three-dimensional object by laying down successive layers of material. The 3D printer offers faster, cheaper and easier to use than other additive manufacturing technologies. This technology gives product researchers and developers the accomplishment in printing parts and assemblies which are made of various mechanical and physical material in a single process.

3D Printing brings in a variety of benefits for the automotive industry

Honda also realized that 3D printing in automotive industry brings in a number of advantages in performance characteristics and costs. It is concerned to take place the expensive and complicated CNC production. The plastic products produced by 3D printing are cheaper and the production process is shorter.

Mr Mukesh Manocha, Assistant General Manager, Welding Division of Honda Cars said ahead of the 4th edition of the CII Smart Manufacturing Summit held in Delhi:

“Our welding shop has already started using the 3D printing technology and sooner than later we will expand its use across our manufacturing facility”

According to Honda’s statistics, 3D printing is a thoroughgoing technology that could prove the Auto industry with more efficient function as well as the larger company scale. The weight of the components in Honda Cars’ assembling has been reduced by 70 per cent and the cost of welding has been decreased by 60 per cent. In reality, the all-new Honda Amaze which has celebrated the 50,000 sales units landmark within 5 months recently, is the first Honda product in India to be applied 3D printing in production. The Japanese automaker is reflecting on using this up-to-the-minute technology in the whole production line.

The All-new Honda Amaze is the first model using 3D Printing Technology

“Our workers are happier now as they have to lift light weight and that makes us proud as we care about them. Less physical stress also increases their productivity”, noted Manocha.

Industry 4.0 with its Smart Manufacturing Agenda when it comes has pushed the global automotive industry to make a dramatic change in streamlining the operations along with creating more business opportunities. The increasing needs to digitalize the manufacturing works has been a new land for the world’s carmakers to cultivate and 3D printing comes as an indispensable part of that digitalization.

Honda Japan has adopted 3D printing as a supportive technology in manufacturing for a long time. The first 3D printed electric vehicle that can drive was introduced by Honda in 2016. Besides, 3D printing was also exerted in Formula One by Honda to improve its success in racing last year. 

Honda showcased its first 3D-printed electric vehicle in 2016

 It is highly likely that 3D printing will be applied to produce not only the prototypes but the spare parts of products as well and step-by-step adopted to manufacture the real models.  The Indian automakers should take advantage of this advanced to make its way into the Industry 4.0 age.

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