The BMW Group has opened its Additive Manufacturing Campus for business. The new facility, which costed around €15 million to build, will bring together production of prototype and series parts, research into 3D printing technologies, and associate training in toolless manufacturing.

The BMW Group has opened its Additive Manufacturing Campus.

The new Additive Manufacturing Campus for business is in Oberschleissheim, just outside Munich. It operates around 50 industrial systems for processing metal and plastics, with over 50 more running at other production sites around the world.

The new facility operates around 50 industrial systems for processing metal and plastics.

The new facility will be the central hub for production, research and training in 3D printing. The BMW Group is one of the leaders in the field of industrial-scale 3D printing, and already produced and fitted over 300,000 “printed” components last year.

BMW Group's long-standing partnerships with universities and leading manufacturers in the 3D printing business, and technology scouting for industry newcomers provide access to the latest technologies. In addition, its venture capital arm, BMW i Ventures, has been a contributor to finding the right partners in the start-up scene.

The new facility will be the central hub focusing on 3D printing.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, BMW AG Board Member Milan Nedeljković said: “Additive manufacturing is already an integral part of our worldwide production system today, and an established part of our digitalisation strategy. In the future, new technologies of this kind will make production even faster and allow us to benefit even more fully from the potential of toolless manufacturing.”

The BMW Group produced and fitted over 300,000 3D-printed components last year.

Jens Ertel, Director of the Additive Manufacturing Campus: “We are working hard to mature additive manufacturing fully and benefit from it as far as possible throughout the product life-cycle, from the first vehicle concept through to production, aftersales and the technology’s use in classic vehicles.”

The BMW Group has opened its Additive Manufacturing Campus for business. The new facility, which costed around €15 million to build, will bring together production of prototype and series parts, research into 3D printing technologies, and associate training in toolless manufacturing.

The BMW Group has opened its Additive Manufacturing Campus.

The new Additive Manufacturing Campus for business is in Oberschleissheim, just outside Munich. It operates around 50 industrial systems for processing metal and plastics, with over 50 more running at other production sites around the world.

The new facility operates around 50 industrial systems for processing metal and plastics.

The new facility will be the central hub for production, research and training in 3D printing. The BMW Group is one of the leaders in the field of industrial-scale 3D printing, and already produced and fitted over 300,000 “printed” components last year.

BMW Group's long-standing partnerships with universities and leading manufacturers in the 3D printing business, and technology scouting for industry newcomers provide access to the latest technologies. In addition, its venture capital arm, BMW i Ventures, has been a contributor to finding the right partners in the start-up scene.

The new facility will be the central hub focusing on 3D printing.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, BMW AG Board Member Milan Nedeljković said: “Additive manufacturing is already an integral part of our worldwide production system today, and an established part of our digitalisation strategy. In the future, new technologies of this kind will make production even faster and allow us to benefit even more fully from the potential of toolless manufacturing.”

The BMW Group produced and fitted over 300,000 3D-printed components last year.

Jens Ertel, Director of the Additive Manufacturing Campus: “We are working hard to mature additive manufacturing fully and benefit from it as far as possible throughout the product life-cycle, from the first vehicle concept through to production, aftersales and the technology’s use in classic vehicles.”