More companies are looking forward to taking steps towards environmental friendliness due to the sustainability factor coming of age. In a similar move, Ford has joined hands with HP to materialise the plans for reusing the spent 3D printed parts and powders. They will do so by closing the loop and eventually turn them into injection moulded auto parts.
As for the move, not only environment enthusiasts but auto parts buyers are also looking at it with positive mindsets. Representatives from the giants came forward to state that sustainability is a significant priority for both companies. After a long overhaul of their existing sustainability strategies, they came up with an eco-friendly solution.
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How Is The Idea Executed?
Ford plans to use the recycled materials in manufacturing the injection-moulded fuel line clips to install on their Super Duty F250 trucks. The new parts perform better than the traditional ones on several parameters, such as chemical and moisture resistance. Also, they are about seven per cent lighter and ten per cent cheaper than the conventional ones, so auto spare parts importers are equally enthusiastic about the move.
Ford researchers have figured out ten other fuel line clips on existing models that can benefit from the reuse methodology. The plans are on the table to migrate the technology to future models.
What The Companies Have To Say
As per the words of Debbie Mielewski, who is a technical specialist at Ford, looking for sustainable materials to integrate into their vehicles, reducing waste and leading the development procedure towards the circular economy are parts of driving passions at the company.
A similar claim for HP said that while companies are looking towards increasing the use of 3D printing technology, HP is more into finding high-value applications for the waste powder generated that mostly goes to the landfills. They will work together with Ford, which in turn will also give a sense of environmental empowerment to the auto spare parts buyers.
The Story So Far
Ford has worked on similar plans in the past, and they have been working on some applications to utilise the multitude of different materials which come as a by-product of 3D printing. Such materials include sand, powders, filaments, LVP, i.e., Liquid Vat Polymerisation. They have already set up a 3D printing infrastructure for multiple low volume commercial vehicle parts so that auto parts buyers never have to face an empty stock.
Both Ford and HP aim to achieve a high level of sustainability in their products. Both the giants believe that the key to achieving the sustainability goals lies within solving broader problems of the society through modern technologies. An HP representative confirmed the fact that they came up with this idea and executed it all within one year.
What’s In Store For The Future?
With the two major companies from entirely different domains coming together to address the challenges related to sustainability, other players in the business will also try to enter the club. It’s a win-win situation for the auto spare parts buyers also, who can also take pride in being the part of the system that does more than talking to protect the environment.
While HP is the first tech giant to make a move in the direction, other companies such as Tesla are pretty vocal about the sustainability factor. The auto spare parts importers will also look forward to joining the movement by prioritising the manufacturers who like to do things sustainably.
Undoubtedly, the upcoming decade is going to witness some positive stories about the environment as more and more businesses adapt to holistic and sustainable practices.
