Ford develops new Explorer using Formlabs 3D printer

Posted by FIT THAI on December 1, 2025

The automotive industry is undergoing rapid transformation as consumer sentiment and increasing legal regulations have created pressure to shift from fossil fuels to electric vehicles (EVs). Ford is leading this change, just as it did over 100 years ago with the production of the Model T and the introduction of the assembly line, and plans to sell only electric vehicles in Europe by 2030.

the company Ford Motor Company is the sixth largest car manufacturer in the world, producing over 4 million vehicles annually and employing more than 175,000 people worldwide. The heart of Ford's operations in Europe is Ford Cologne which was established in 1930 and is best known for assembling the Ford Fiesta

Located next to the plant is PD Merkenich, which serves as the development hub responsible for designing all passenger cars for the European market from the ground up, including successful models like the Fiesta, Focus, Kuga, and most recently, the Explorer, which is a fully electric vehicle and the first EV for the European market that has just entered mass production at the Cologne assembly plant. The team also supports the development of commercial vehicles in collaboration with Ford's Dunton Technical Centre in the UK.

But how can Ford keep up with the intense competition and increasingly shorter development cycles? Please continue reading for an overview of the PD Merkenich Rapid Technology Center, which is a key tool for creating rapid prototypes for product development.

Tools for full-scale automotive prototyping

the supervisor of the Ford Rapid Technology Center
Sandro Pirroddi said

“Prototyping is extremely important in the development process because it allows engineers to verify and validate designs. If it later becomes necessary to modify the plastic injection mold or manufacturing tools, it can be very costly and time-consuming, which could lead to production line stoppages in the worst-case scenario. These issues can be avoided through prototyping and by utilizing all available technologies.”

Full-scale automotive prototyping requires a variety of tools. The Rapid Technology Center is a large facility equipped with the latest manufacturing technologies, including plastic injection machines, various forming machines, and machinery for Subtractive Manufacturing, including Milling Machines that can accommodate the largest body panels.

Of course, this list would not be complete without Additive Manufacturing technology. PD Merkenich is considered the first workshop in Europe to use Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printers since 1994, and since then, it has expanded its number of machines to include FDM, SLA, and SLS printers for polymer materials, as well as 3D metal printers.

Although the initial concept models are still sculpted from clay, as product development moves to the next stage and each piece takes on a shape closer to the real thing, testing both “form” and “functionality” with materials and processes that closely resemble actual production becomes increasingly important.

“Additive Manufacturing is extremely important in the development process because it allows you to produce parts quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively, while also being able to respond immediately to short-term demands. Looking at the development direction of electric vehicles, the development time is getting shorter, which means that the time available for developing and validating automotive parts is less. Therefore, this technology is crucial in the development process. It gives you a competitive edge over your rivals,” Sandro Pirroddi said.

Due to increasingly compressed development timelines, the Rapid Technology Center is always looking for new technologies in additive manufacturing to help them accelerate the production process and deliver parts faster.

Developing design prototypes with SLA 3D printing

SLA 3D printers are primarily used in workshops for creating prototypes of designs that require a smooth finish and need to be produced quickly to accommodate multiple rounds of adjustments. PD Merkenich started with the Formlabs Form 2 printer but soon expanded the number of machines to several units, including the latest large Form 3L printer. They were also among the first companies to use the Form 4, Formlabs' latest MSLA printer.

Additive Manufacturing and Tooling Expert at Ford
Bruno Alves said

“The Form 4 is very fast. I think this is the best machine I have seen so far in terms of speed. It is a significant upgrade compared to previous models. It is much easier to use, allowing operators in our workshop to learn and operate it more easily, and they also get high-quality parts.”

“A few years ago, printing parts took days, but now we can print components in just a few minutes. Engineers are no longer afraid to redesign or make additional revisions because they know they will receive the parts quickly.”

Supervisor, Rapid Technology Center, Ford
Sandro Pirroddi said

“Working with the Form 4 is truly a game changer. The speed of the printer transforms our workflow. We can deliver more pieces, achieve a higher workload, and have more flexibility for urgent requests. Now we can operate like that with the Form 4.”

This increased printing speed allows the RTC team to handle more requests within less than 24 hours — even requests coming from the United Kingdom, which they can deliver quickly through overnight shipping.

For the new Explorer model, the team used SLA 3D printing to validate and verify the design of several exterior and interior parts.

Additive Manufacturing and Tooling Expert at Ford
Bruno Alves said

“The Form 3L allows us to print large parts, such as exterior body parts for vehicles. We printed this side mirror cover to check the design. 3D printing is perfect for this kind of work because it is fast and provides very high quality compared to mass-produced actual parts.”

Testing mechanical parts with SLS 3D printing

The workshop also has several large 3D SLS printers used for testing mechanical parts.

“We often try to test and verify materials that closely resemble those used in mass production. The Fuse 1+ uses PA-12 (nylon) material, which is very similar to parts produced by injection molding in actual production lines,” Alves said.

Although the team has a large SLS printer in-house that can print large body parts, they often choose to use the Fuse 1+ 30W for jobs that fit within the machine's print area.

The workshop also uses a 3D SLS printer to produce parts that need to be tested for mechanical properties, such as stress, impact, or load-bearing, using PA-12 material, which closely resembles actual injection-molded materials, allowing for the most detailed and accurate assessment of prototypes prepared for actual production.

Additive Manufacturing and Tooling Expert at Ford
Bruno Alves said

“Fuse 1+ is much faster than competitors' machines and is also easy for our staff to use. Ultimately, what matters most to us is being able to deliver parts faster and more easily.”

The team is also one of the beta testers for Fuse Blast, an automated cleaning and finishing solution that completes the SLS process and simplifies post-printing steps.

“Fuse Blast significantly speeds up the process because now operators no longer need to clean parts by hand. They just put the parts in the machine and press start. Previously, everything had to be done manually, which took a lot of time. So now operators can go do other work, and the entire process is faster,” Alves said

The SLS technology's ability to print features without the need for support makes it easy to produce parts with complex shapes. For the new Explorer model, the team used the Fuse 1+ 30W to produce several components and assemblies.

“For this charging port cover, we needed to use SLS because we wanted a functional part to test various mechanisms. This piece has a very complex design that we couldn't produce using other methods. It can't be machined, and we can't inject just a few pieces for testing. So the best method is to print with a material that can be tested in real applications,” Alves said

Injection molding in-house with 3D printed molds

Having a variety of technologies within the center allows the Rapid Technology Center to create hybrid working processes, such as integrating traditional manufacturing processes with rapidly produced molds using 3D printing.

Depending on the application, the team can choose the most suitable manufacturing process and materials to achieve maximum cost, speed, and efficiency. For example, in crash testing, parts must be produced from the same materials and processes as the actual mass production. For plastic parts, this process is usually injection molding, which typically requires expensive metal molds and takes a long time to produce.

Additive Manufacturing and Tooling Expert at Ford
Bruno Alves said

“We see great potential in using 3D printed insert sheets for plastic injection molding because we can quickly adjust the design. We print the cavities and cores of the molds and then replace them in the mold set to immediately inject the parts.”

↑The team produced insert molds for plastic injection work with Rigid 10K resin on the SLA printer

For the same job, they also used Nylon 12 powder on the SLS printer↓

For the new Explorer vehicle, the team produced rubber parts for the door handle mechanism using 3D printed insert molds along with an in-house plastic injection machine.

“This process is quite complex because we use multiple insert sheets, and there are several designs that need to go through multiple rounds of adjustments. Normally, if we send injection molding work to an external contractor, it may take 2–3 months, but when we do it in-house with 3D printing technology, we can speed up the time to just about 2–3 weeks. For this project, if we had to use molds from outside, it would take much longer, and we might not be able to deliver the parts on time,” Alves said

Accelerating into the electric vehicle era

Ford's commitment to transitioning all vehicles to electric power by 2030 has set a challenging roadmap for the PD Merkenich center to meet its deadlines. The company needs to continuously seek cutting-edge technology and experiment with innovative new working processes. Maintaining competitiveness relies on pushing the boundaries and integrating new materials, processes, and machines, such as building tools in-house and 3D printing technology.

“Our competitors are accelerating their development processes, and we must do the same. The solution is to test new materials, new processes, and new machines that are coming to market. Currently, if we do not have additive manufacturing, we will not be able to compete and will not be able to work this quickly. 3D printing allows us to create the best products for our customers in a much shorter time,” Alves said