Executive Summary

To maintain agility across high-volume automotive assembly lines, General Motors (GM) expanded its collaboration with Stratasys to deploy industrial FDM® additive manufacturing solutions across more than 20 manufacturing facilities in North and South America. By replacing traditional machined aluminum and steel tooling with 3D-printed composite and thermoplastic alternatives, GM plant teams now resolve assembly challenges in hours instead of weeks.

The enterprise-wide adoption of Stratasys technology has delivered lead time reductions up to 80%, weight savings up to 72%, and cost reductions exceeding 70% on critical factory-floor tooling applications.

The Challenge: Traditional Tooling Constraints in Modern Vehicle Assembly

Automotive assembly facilities rely heavily on custom jigs, fixtures, end-effectors, and quality-checking devices to maintain high-throughput production. Traditionally, these tools were machined out of aluminum or steel by external vendors, introducing several operational bottlenecks:

• Long Lead Times: Machining custom metal tooling typically required 9 to 13 weeks. Any design change or tool breakage threatened to cause costly line delays or halt pre-production testing.

• Heavy, Ergonomically Challenging Tooling: Metal assembly aids often weighed 75 pounds or more, requiring mechanical hoist assistance to maneuver around vehicle bodies. Heavy tools increased operator fatigue and introduced risk of cosmetic damage to vehicle sheet metal.

• Siloed Solutions: Local tool modifications developed at one plant were difficult to standardize and replicate quickly across GM’s global assembly footprint.

The Solution: Local Production, Enterprise-Wide Scaling

GM partnered with Stratasys to integrate industrial FDM® production printers—such as the high-capacity Stratasys F900™—directly into plant workflows across major facilities including Factory ZERO, Lansing Delta Township, Fort Wayne, and Silao Assembly.

Supported by production-grade thermoplastics (such as FDM® Nylon 12CF carbon fiber and FDM® ASA), GrabCAD Print™ software, and specialized application engineering, plant teams gained the capability to design, validate, and print end-use factory aids on demand.

[ Local Plant Identifies Tooling Need ]
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[ CAD Design Optimized for FDM Print ]
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[ Printed On-Site via Stratasys Industrial FDM ]
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[ Validated on Assembly Line in Hours/Days ]
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[ Digital File Shared Across 20+ Global Facilities ]

Key Real-World Applications & Results

1. Overhead Conveyor Risers (Chevy Bolt Assembly)

• Challenge: Heavy conveyor pallet risers made of traditional steel/aluminum created excess strain on automation equipment, causing periodic downtime and requiring offsite repair.

• 3D Printing Solution: GM 3D printed replacement risers using high-stiffness FDM® Nylon 12CF (carbon fiber) on the Stratasys F900™.

• Impact:

  • 32% lighter than aluminum and 72% lighter than steel.

  • Production lead time reduced from 9 weeks to 2 weeks (75–80% savings).

  • Eliminated complex welding requirements and minimized conveyor maintenance downtime.

2. Rear Wheelhouse Hemming Tool (Chevrolet Equinox)

• Challenge: Machining a 75-lb aluminum hemming device used to join sheet metal panels required 10–13 weeks lead time and lift-assist equipment.

• 3D Printing Solution: Printed the entire hemming tool in three weeks using FDM® ASA thermoplastic.

• Impact:

  • Tool weight dropped from 75 lbs to 33 lbs, eliminating the need for lift assistance and improving operator ergonomics.

  • Fabrication time reduced by over 70% (from 10+ weeks down to 3 weeks).

  • Total tooling cost decreased by 74%.

3. Factory-Wide Ergonomic Aids & Quality Components

Across facilities like Factory ZERO and Fort Wayne, GM operators use Stratasys printers daily to manufacture hand-held alignment gauges, protective vehicle covers, and custom robot end-effectors.

Enterprise Business Value & Key Metrics

Leadership Takeaways

“Our greatest asset is our people. If we can give people the tools so they can own the outcome within their footprint, and then take those solutions and replicate them across our footprint where they apply, we’ll get the best outcome.”

— Doneen McDowell, Manufacturing Vice President, GM North America Full Size Truck and Large SUV Assembly Operations

“General Motors demonstrates what becomes possible when additive manufacturing is fully integrated into production operations. Together, we’ve created an approach that turns factory-floor innovation into enterprise-wide business value, helping manufacturing teams improve performance, reduce costs and scale proven solutions across their operations.”

— Yoav Zeif, Chief Executive Officer of Stratasys

Click here to view the official Press Release.