Classic car collectors know that one of the greatest difficulties is finding replacement parts for all those cars that are now out of production: the Porsche spare partsfor example. But here the solution may come from the world of hi-tech.
Unobtainable 3D-printed Porsche parts
The Porsche car manufacturer - Classic division - has devised a programme capable of realising all kinds of spare parts with the help of a 3D printing. These are not, reportedly, simple replacement parts with identical features to the originals, but rather the printer is able to reproduce the parent component exactly, respecting the original quality standards.
Not forgetting the economic fact: while the purchase of original Porsche parts has always been as difficult as it is expensive, the price of the moulded part is much more affordable.
This does not mean that the Zuffenhausen plant has no spare parts available: quite the contrary, Porsche Classic has almost 52,000 parts in what is called the 'Organ Bank'. Apparently, however, as the years go by, it is possible that the number of parts will decrease. At the moment, however, there are about ten parts produced by 3D printing. An experiment that is likely to find more space in the future, in light of the fact that another 20 parts are already being studied and 3D modelled.
3D printing applications in the automotive sector
The programme allows all kinds of materials to be printed: from plastic to steel, including all transmission elements such as belts, chains and smooth or toothed discs. Before the final step, the design goes onto paper and other dedicated software scans the original model, which only then passes the digital version to the printer. The manufacture of the component occurs layer by layerto the point of creating an exact copy of that of the parent company. The innovative system is expected to allow get most Porsche classic cars back on the road.
However, it seems that the Stuttgart-based carmaker already has some competitors behind it: in February 2018, Bugatti produced a titanium brake caliper, again through 3D printing. Another example of how technology and design are destined to travel into the future, albeit on parallel tracks.
