Investing In Its Beyond100 Goal, Bentley’s GBP 3 Million Double down On Additive Manufacturing

Supporting its Beyond100 strategy, Bentley Motors has made a GBP 3 million (RM 16,812,363) venture to double its Additive Manufacturing (AM) capacity at its Crewe headquarters.

This enables Bentley to utilise said advanced technology to create 3D printed vehicle components and even greater personalisation in customer cars.

In fact, a state-of-the-art AM facility has already been applied to a wide range of uses, producing more than 15,000 components in 2021 alone. 

Bentley Motors’ board member for manufacturing, Peter Bosch commented, “Bentley’s approach to additive manufacturing is industry-leading and the facility is quickly becoming a cornerstone of our ‘Dream Factory’ ambitions. One of the key benefits is that it is efficiency led, cutting down on the cost and complexity of a myriad of jobs.”  

Recognised as one of the fastest developing technologies in the world, the AM system converts 3D CAD models into physical components. 

So, to get the ball rolling, the company’s innovative research and development team has already identified a long list of items to print.

Specifically, on-the-job assisted tools for manufacturing colleagues, such as lightweight sanding blocks in Bentley’s iconic wood shop. 

Also created was historically accurate tooling equipment needed to make parts for Bentley’s Blower Continuation model and even COVID-19 face shields for the healthcare sector.

On top of that, it has been employed to create physical components for several prototype Bentleys, such as full-scale powertrain models and aerodynamic wind tunnel models. 

That’s not all, the system has also been used to produce parts for the record-breaking Bentley models that were driven in the demanding Pikes Peak Challenge in America. 

Other than that, the latest methods help speed up product development, allowing Bentley to produce a profusion of parts without the need to outsource. 

The AM system installed aids a 50 percent cost saving on parts and by operating around the clock, the facility is capable of producing thousands of components in over 25 different materials.

To ensure smooth progress, Bentley colleagues from across the company are now being trained in AM to understand how they can benefit from using the state-of-the-art process in their work.

Bosch concluded, “This latest investment is also making a significant impact with our colleagues from across the company, helping to create advanced assisted tools to drive continuous improvement throughout manufacturing processes. As we look to the future, there really is huge potential to where this advanced technology can progress, including having a greater ability to personalise parts for our customers and further enhancing the individualisation programme offered on every car.”

Overall, Bentley’s investment in such an innovative process is yet another example of its vision to create a lasting, sustainable business model and remain at the vanguard of technological progress.