GM’s printer network shows how factory ideas can travel

What happened

Stratasys’ October 22 case study describes General Motors standardizing on the F900 so manufacturing teams can exchange tooling designs across a network of more than 20 facilities. The emphasis is on production support: fixtures, ergonomic tools and locally printed replacement parts.

This is an update on an existing program. Stratasys announced the wider rollout on September 14; the October account adds detail about sharing applications and incorporating additive capacity into equipment planning. It describes collaboration among teams in Mexico, North America, South America and India.

The account comes from GM’s equipment supplier. Its operational benefits should be read as reported customer experience, rather than an independent audit of every plant.