If you are lucky enough to own a classic Porsche, you’ll be happy to hear that Porsche is now going to make it easier for you to get replacement parts. Porsche has announced that it’s going to use 3D printers to reproduce some of the extremely rare parts for your classic Porsche.
Since most of the rare parts aren’t needed in large quantities, like the release lever for the clutch on the Porsche 959, 3D printing represents a cheaper alternative. Porsche is currently producing nine parts that are produced using a selective laser melting process, while the plastic components are manufactured using an SLS printer. SLS stands for selective laser sintering, a process where the material is heated to just below melting point and the remaining energy is applied through a laser to fuse the plastic powder at a selected point.
Porsche says that all the new parts are subject to the quality requirements of the original production period as a minimum, though they usually meet higher standards. Porsche Classic is currently testing 3D for an additional 20 components.
Source: Porsche