2020 Shelby GT500 to Get 3D-Printed Brake Components

The use 3D printing technology is becoming more widespread across a number of industries, and the automotive domain is no exception. The cost of using this technology continues to fall, making its benefits that much more attractive to manufacturers.

You can now count Ford among those companies who are using 3D printing. But what you might not know is that the American automaker is no stranger to the technology. Ford acquired its first 3D printer way back in 1988; it was the third ever created. Today the company owns 90 of them.

Ford said this week that 23 of those printers are being used to build two brake components that will make their debut in the 2020 Shelby GT500, set to be unveiled at the next Detroit auto show in January 2019.

This won’t even be the first time Ford has used a part made with a 3D printer. A regional version of the F-150 Raptor sold in China contains a 3D-printed interior part. And in Michigan, the machines are being used for quality control on the new Ford Ranger.

Other manufacturers, notably Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, are also working with the technology.

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