Stratasys- Use 3D printing to optimize the design of Volkswagen

Germany's Volkswagen, one of the world's most iconic car manufacturers, has invested in Stratasys' PolyJet technology to improve its prototyping capabilities and open up new opportunities in vehicle design.

With the installation of two Stratasys J8 series 3D printers based on PolyJet technology, the VW Pre-Series-Center has 3D printing capabilities for realistic prototypes and drives further innovation in the design of the company's new vehicles.

Volkswagen has more than 25 years of experience in 3D printing, designing and producing innovative vehicles for customers. The company said this latest investment has enabled the design team to meet VW's stringent quality requirements and create the complex multi-material prototypes to final parts with up to 99% accuracy. Having this capability can lead the team to better test and improve the overall part design.

The J8 series 3D printers offer the unique ability to produce full-color prototypes in up to seven different materials. These materials vary in hardness, transparency -- all can be achieved in a single print. This save a lot of time and cost compared to traditional multi-step design processes such as parts assembly and painting.

“Volkswagen has always put innovation at the heart of its work, aiming to develop vehicles that excite customers and make them proud. We must provide our design teams with the latest cutting-edge technology to unleash their creativity to set the standard for car design. The J8 series 3D printers provide us with additional support to enhance our 3D printing capabilities to further optimize our design process.”
——Peter Bartels
Head of Volkswagen Pre-Series-Center

Volkswagen has always recognized the value of PolyJet 3D printing and continues to push the boundaries of technology to innovate the design process. The J8 series of 3D printers provide means to take design capabilities to the next level and gain a competitive advantage. We're excited to see what creative applications the Volkswagen team can use this technology for."
——Andreas Langfeld
CEO of Stratasys EMEA