Daimler Truck Pioneers Solution for 3D Printing Spare Parts
3D Systems and Daimler Truck, along with its buses division, have joined forces to tackle the challenges posed by traditional manufacturing and current supply chain disruption.
The result? An innovative 3D printing solution.
Decentralised and IP-secure, this solution allows critical vehicle parts to be produced locally, reducing wait times by up to 75%.
This significantly enhances vehicle uptime and comes with a host of other benefits, cementing the revolutionary potential of additive manufacturing in the automotive sector.
“By commercialising this digital service solution, Daimler Buses is not only adopting a new technology; they’re fundamentally reshaping the supply chain for greater resilience and efficiency,” says Jaime Garcia, Additive Solutions Manager – Automotive and Commercial Transportation, 3D Systems.
“Our SLS 380 is a high throughput additive manufacturing solution with unprecedented levels of throughput, consistency, performance, and yield.
"I’m pleased that this is the first 3D Systems technology to be integrated into Daimler Buses’ workflow. I look forward to seeing how the capabilities grow as we add other polymer as well as metal 3D printers in the future.”
3D Printing: helping overcome supply chain bottlenecks
For years, supply chain disruptions have caused delays in the production and delivery of vital spare parts, resulting in costly vehicle downtime.
With the introduction of this innovative 3D printing solution, these disruptions no longer pose the same impact.
Using 3D Systems' SLS 380 printer and Oqton’s integrated software, Daimler Truck & Buses's certified partners can now produce necessary components on demand, right where they are needed.
This not only accelerates part delivery by 75%, but also leads to indirect cost savings by reducing vehicle downtime and improving overall productivity.
The solution leverages cutting-edge technology and digital rights management by Wibu-Systems to ensure intellectual property protection.
“We are very pleased that we are expanding the revolutionary solution with 3D Systems, one of the world’s leading 3D printer manufacturers, and realizing our vision for decentralised spare parts production,” says Ralf Anderhofstadt, Head of Center of Competence Additive Manufacturing, Daimler Truck and Buses.
"The Digital Rights Management enables us to shorten service times through decentralised production in order to further maximise productivity and revenue for commercial vehicle companies.
"In addition, the sensible use of industrial 3D printing results in reducing the complexity in the supply chains.
"Through our collaboration with 3D Systems, Oqton and Wibu-Systems, we are setting another important milestone in the expansion of decentralised 3D printing production."
Sustainability & cost benefits of decentralising production
The benefits of this collaboration go beyond speed and efficiency; they also bring significant environmental and cost advantages.
By decentralising production, logistics-related emissions are reduced, as there is less need for long-distance transport of parts.
This contributes to sustainability goals while also improving cost efficiency for fleet owners.
Daimler's advanced solution offers a high degree of flexibility, enabling service partners to produce only the specific parts needed for each repair job.
This means that unnecessary inventory is eliminated, further reducing operational costs.
In addition, companies can join the manufacturer's network of certified 3D printing partners by purchasing a licence for 3DXpert, an all-in-one software solution that streamlines the entire manufacturing process from part design to printing.
"Our 3DXpert software is renowned as an all-in-one solution to streamline the additive manufacturing production workflow," says Roy Sterenthal, Vice President, Industrial Additive, Oqton.
"By combining this capability with Wibu-Systems' robust digital rights management solution, we're helping Daimler Truck & Buses safeguard its intellectual property while accelerating its supply chain.
"I’m pleased that we can be part of this innovative solution to produce on-demand critical components, reduce reliance on global logistics, and ultimately return vehicles to service faster than ever.”
As the additive manufacturing market within the automotive sector continues to grow — expected to reach US$7.9bn by 2027 — this partnership stands at the forefront of transforming vehicle maintenance.
The combined strengths of 3D Systems, Oqton, and Wibu-Systems are helping Daimler Truck and their partners deliver faster and more reliable services while meeting the increasing demand for high-quality, on-demand components.
This revolutionary solution could pave the way for more sustainable, efficient and cost-effective spare part production across the industry.
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