DEALING IN DIGITAL
Ford has entered into an agreement with Reviver to add the digital RPlate to its official accessory category. The RPlate, a digital license plate, was initially introduced through a 2018 pilot program in California, but will now be available through a limited rollout at 300 Ford dealerships in Arizona, California and Michigan. The plates are now also legal in all 50 states as well as in Canada and Mexico. Reviver highlights multiple benefits of owning a digital license plate such as potential customization features as well as a “Renewal” option that will allow drivers to automatically update the display of the year and month their registration is valid. The digital license plates will function up to -40 Celsius before experiencing technical difficulties with display features. At the moment, RPlates are only available when rear-mounted. Districts that require front plates will still require traditional screw-in until further ratifications are made in future.
PRIORITY PRINTING
Recently, the Task Force group, composed of experts from various fields related to 3D printing, OEMs, additive materials, recycling and engineering released an assessment report on the benefits, challenges and future directions of 3D printing in the automotive industry. According to the report, the Task Force group’s “efforts have been focused on engaging with industry stakeholders, conducting research on 3D printing applications, and identifying key areas for improvement.” The use of 3D printing could be used to address the need for smaller, discontinued or out-of-stock parts by allowing a manufacturer to have ready-made pieces. Other critical advantages would include an ability to reduce cycle times and to “salvage parts that were once discarded due to missing or damaged plastic components.” However, 3D printing does not come without its challenges. The report specifically identifies the risk of “an influx of substandard, unregulated parts from unverified or unlicensed sources attempting to capitalize” on new tech. The risk of using poor-quality materials creates potential widespread concerns across the industry.
