Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019).

Developing a new product or modifying an existent design in the automotive industry is often a very costly and time-consumingx000D
process. The automotive industry has been using Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology as an important tool in the design andx000D
development of automotive components because it can shorten the development cycle and reduce manufacturing and productx000D
costs. AM processes also have been used to manufacture small quantities of structural and functional parts, such as enginex000D
exhausts, drive shafts, gear box components and breaking systems for luxury, low-volume vehicles. FCA Canada Inc. is seekingx000D
to collaborate with McMaster University to evaluate the use of AM technology for design optimization and manufacturing ofx000D
selected automotive parts. This design optimization includes: weight reduction, material selection, and topology optimization. Thisx000D
collaborative project between FCA Canada Inc. and McMaster University focuses on the use of AM technology to redesign twox000D
selected automobile parts and manufacture these parts using the Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) process. The projectx000D
represents a significant opportunity to increase FCAs profit in the automotive market as a result of introducing new innovativex000D
products and processes. This collaboration in AM of automotive components will expand FCAs current customer offerings andx000D
extend their base in North America and internationally.