Mercedes-Benz produces truck spare parts using 3D printing

The world’s largest truck-maker will allow businesses to being 3D printing truck spare parts as part of an innovative after sales offering and the German company has been heralded as taking on a pioneering role and technological leadership among global truck producers.
Head of marketing & operations in the customer services and parts in the Mercedes-Benz Trucks Division, Andreas Deuschle, said that the company plans to expand the use 3D printing truck spare parts.

“In keeping with our brand promise ‘Trucks you can trust’, we set the same benchmarks for reliability, functionality, durability and economy for spare parts from 3D production as for parts from conventional production,” he said.

“However, 3D offers many more possibilities; this is why we shall be rapidly extending the production of 3D printed parts.”
Mercedes-Benz Trucks is using the latest 3D printing processes for plastic spare parts as the standard production method in its Customer Services & Parts sector.

Some of the parts made possible by using the 3D process include covers, spacers, spring caps, air and cable ducts, clamps, mountings and control elements.

The “printed” spare parts are created with state-of-the-art 3D printers based on the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) printing process.

The printed parts will generated with this selective laser sintering process which is optimized by Daimler research and development staff, which said the initial list of 30 parts would grow as the company continuously adds new 3D printing options.

Every 3D spare part can be ordered by Mercedes-Benz customers using the special spare part number which is recorded in the order code lists and the spare parts catalogues at Mercedes-Benz Trucks.