How Rivian, Ford and GM are using 3D printing to reduce costs

DETROIT — Automakers including Ford Motor and Rivian Automotive are leaning into a new type of manufacturing line: 3D printing.

Manufacturers say it’s helping them reduce costs and increase speed. The technology has been around for decades, but it’s becoming more commoditized in the automotive industry, with 3D printers used to create everything from vehicle parts and accessories to tools for assembly plants and testing units for research and development labs.

“At this point, we don’t have a choice but to scale up and begin using it through all factions of Rivian,” Jared Beck, head of Rivian’s additive manufacturing, told CNBC during a tour of the automaker’s expansive 3D-printing operations in suburban Detroit. “We’re going to be democratizing 3D printing for the entire company.”

Also known as additive manufacturing, 3D printing can create three-dimensional objects from digital designs by dispensing…