Artificial intelligence can take 3D printing to the next level

Artificial intelligence (AI) is typically associated with advances in autonomous driving, but the industry is also leveraging machine learning to improve the manufacturing process itself. It may not make for radical improvements in all cases, but even small gains can mean a big difference in an automotive environment.

Additive manufacturing has been prevalent in the automotive industry for decades, but the process has seen surging interest in recent years under the guise of 3D printing. Rapid prototyping, assembly tooling, jigs and fixtures have all benefitted from advances in 3D printing, and now—in tandem with AI—the process is going to the next level.