One of the best parts of our job at DAS Demo is impressing new owners with the incredible features and technologies their vehicle offers. And as the consumer experience becomes more advanced, so too does the production process. Recently, 3dprint.com sat down with Audi’s head of Strategy Technical Development Torsten Ronneberger to learn more about the automaker’s plans to produce future models using 3D and 4D printing. Keep reading to learn more.

Currently, Audi is only utilizing 3D printing to create part samples and produce prototypes. Four different printing methods are used: fused deposition modeling (FDM), stereolithography (SLA), selective laser melting (SLM), and selective laser sintering (SLS). According to Ronneberger, the manufacturer is expecting to make use of these and other 3D printing methods as a tool to mass-produce future vehicle components.

Right now most 3D printing utilizes plastic, but Audi is hoping to produce more complex components in the future using various metals. The automaker is also planning on using 4D printing. According to Ronneberger, this advanced technique is essentially “3D printing with shape memory alloys.” He elaborated stating that, “[Audi] could forgo a lot of mechanics if components were able to change geometrically. For example, rear spoilers that could modify their material structure in the airstream in a way that raises the component.”

Audi is truly changing the face of luxury car manufacturing from the inside out, and we at DAS Demo cannot wait to see how these cutting-edge technologies will improve our already astounding new Audi inventory. To find out more about what makes a powerful Audi tick, contact us or stop by in person to talk to our professional staff today. 

Image: Audi RS Q (By Florian K (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)] via Wikimedia Commons)