How titanium will drive AM adoption by the automotive industry
Titanium will have a critical strategic role in producing low-weight, highly efficient cars. In the automotive industry, the motorsports sector will primarily use 3D printed titanium parts. At present the value of the powder consumed is tiny. However, by 2019, the value of titanium consumed by the automotive sector could exceed $10 million and by 2024 it could be close to $50 million. Throughout the period we expect to see demand within the automotive sector come mostly from the continued use of high-performance parts in racing vehicles. By 2024, the automotive is expected to utilize 103 metric tons in annual demand of titanium and titanium alloy powders.
Several factors suggest that 3D printed titanium has a future in the automotive industry: # 1. It is already being used. As the above picture of activity at Monash Motorsport shows, there is already some serious activity in this space. So there are already small beachheads for printed titanium in car manufacturing of a certain sort #2 Perfect for lightweighting. For non-cost-sensitive automotive industry projects with lightweighting goals, it is the ideal material, with 3D printing, to make parts lighter. Combining them would be a winning combination. This may prove even truer as electric cars become more commonplace, with lighter car bodies and parts playing an even greater role in increasing fuel economy. #3 Improved designs. Automotive manufacturers have struggled with the integration of titanium into designs, but 3D printing is helping to break down barriers thanks to increased production effectiveness. In our opinion, 3D printing could prove to be a catalyst to for further use of titanium in automotive, with eventual benefits in terms of increased product performance for the car industry as a whole.
The impact of these market drivers is expected to accelerate as the cost of titanium additive manufacturing goes down. Efforts to reduce these costs are already underway. These consist of (1) reduction of AM system cost itself, as well as (2) alternate titanium powder production methods to reduce actual material cost per kilogram. Both avenues would ultimately reduce the cost of 3D printed titanium parts for automobile manufacturers and potentially result in increased power demand in the automobile industry It is still not immediately clear if 3D printed titanium will make significant inroads beyond the motorsports segment and into commercial vehicle markets. Other metals could prove more efficient and cost-effective for automotive parts production. On the other hand, due to its excellent weight-to-strength ratio, titanium may prove particularly effective in driving 3D printing adoption in the automotive industry as a whole.
