Car designers are already making extensive use of the developing technology of 3D printing. But could the aftermarket be about to embrace this new and highly flexible tool? One US company will shortly be offering 3D printing services to repair shops, something that could possibly point the way to the future of the parts business in Ireland.

Print-A-Part intends to offer repairers and workshops access to 3D print files online for small parts such as screws, fasteners and washers. The idea is that parts can be produced on site in a few minutes or hours depending on complexity. Customers would pay a fee to access designs.

The details of the business model are still to be worked out, but with technology developing rapidly and 3D printers becoming more affordable, it could be the start of a fast developing story. It is thought the service might be especially useful for workshops in very remote locations and for simple parts that are not in common demand and tend not to be stocked locally.

A recent report by SmarTech, says that including car makers the auto industry’s global use of 3D printing will grow to an estimated $1.25 billion by 2019. At present it is used mainly in the area of prototype development. The technology is currently too slow for any application in mass production but it is thought to have a big future in concept development, custom parts and the aftermarket.

Last year at the International Manufacturing Technology Show, Local Motors, a car design collective, printed an entire vehicle called the Strati (pictured) during the five days of the show.