AMR Software
AMR Data Centers

Hyundai Mobis Opens New Design Model Workshop to Prototype 3D Printed Parts for Cars

Share this Article

Based in South Korea, Hyundai Mobis has been an automotive parts manufacturer and supplier for more than 40 years. A future-thinking company, Hyundai Mobis has just become the first automotive supplier, rather than global automaker, to open a design research facility in Korea. Called the Design Model Workshop, the facility was announced late last week. The company has invested about ₩3 billion in the workshop, which will have a floor area of 430 square meters and will be located in Hyundai Mobis’ R&D center in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do.

The company plans to use the workshop to assess how well 3D printed auto components go with a car, so they will be creating life-sized clay models of cars using a large clay model processing machine, and 3D printing parts that will then be fitted to the mockup. New cars will be created in this way, establishing an optimal design process that goes with each model. This process is expected to speed up Hyundai Mobis’ automotive design, as they can have a full car model at an early stage in the process and modify samples in a single place. Designers will be able to work with an actual physical, full-sized model, rather than a virtual one on a screen.

[Image: Hyundai Mobis]

3D printing the components will save significant time as well, and the company plans to improve precision by 3D scanning samples of parts and utilizing the data acquired from the scans.

Hyundai Mobis plans to stay ahead of the industry by proactively offering new component designs reflecting the latest trends to customers. For example, the company can 3D print several designs of a head lamp, then show the various designs to the customer and let them decide which version goes best with the car.

“Adding design, which is within the area of emotion, to performance and quality will allow us to secure a competitive edge over global rivals,” said Hyundai Mobis Design Director Kang Han-tae.

[Image: Glassdoor]

The clay processing machine is somewhat like a CNC machine, with a robot arm that cuts clay into the shape of a car. Color and texture are then added, so that the car looks identical to an actual one. The components will be 3D printed on a powder bed 3D printer.

Hyundai Mobis is far from the first automotive company to use 3D printing to prototype car components, or to introduce a dedicated center for innovation, but this method of building a life-sized car model and fitting 3D printed parts to it is particularly ingenious. It introduces a speed and accuracy that gives Hyundai Mobis a major advantage, allowing the company to speed production and time to market.

“The new design model workshop will enable Hyundai Mobis to preemptively and precisely respond to customers’ demands,” the company stated. “The usage of 3-D printers shortens the manufacturing time of auto part samples, reducing costs.”

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. 

 



Share this Article


Recent News

Nano Dimension Evaluates Desktop Metal Post-Takeover, Completes Acquisition of Markforged

Luxury Residential Resort Community in Texas to Feature 5 ICON 3D Printed Homes



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

New Business: Temporary, Migratory, & Modular 3D Printed Architecture

If we look at potentially emerging 3D printing businesses, then architecture has not been fully explored. Yes, there is a lot of house 3D printing going on worldwide. From deployable...

3D Printing News Briefs, April 19, 2025: Material Extrusion Standard, Metal Powder, & More

In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, we’re covering a proposed standard for material extrusion, before moving on to business and metal powder. We’ll end with a commercial store’s robotic 3D...

Japan Unveils World’s First 3D Printed Train Station

Japan is now home to what we believe is the world’s first train station built with 3D printing technology. Located in Arida City, just south of Osaka, the new Hatsushima...

restor3d Raises $38M to Expand 3D Printed Orthopedic Implants

Backed by $38 million in new funding, restor3d is pushing ahead with the launch of four personalized implant lines, set to roll out in 2025 and 2026. This latest venture...