At this year’s industrial additive manufacturing event in Los Angeles, automotive applications were strongly represented by equipment manufacturers, material suppliers and software vendors.

There is a definite emphasis on mass customization, with many experts predicting that additive manufacturing will be the key to profitable production of shorter runs of more specialized products, often based on a common automotive platform. 

Specialty autos that were formally contracted out for completion, such as Roush and Shelby Mustangs, may move in-house as additive manufacturing technology and capability for short runs, without added costs.