Daimler Truck and Bus Solves Spare Parts Supply with 3D Systems’ Additive ManufacturingDaimler Truck and Bus Solves Spare Parts Supply with 3D Systems’ Additive Manufacturing
The maker of Mercedes-Benz buses can now print parts in repair shops rather than stocking and shipping them.
January 31, 2025

At a Glance
- Producing parts on demand can slash delivery time by 75 percent.
- Digital rights management ensures that printed parts are legal.
- The market for 3D-printed auto parts is expected to grow to $7.9 billion by 2027.
Keeping all the parts in inventory that are needed to maintain a bus fleet is a costly chore that involves shipping and storing the numerous parts that might be needed, but Daimler Truck and Bus aims to reduce that burden by 3D printing repair parts right in the shop as they are needed.
This promises to not only reduce the logistical burden on bus fleet operators but will also reduce or eliminate instances of buses being off the road while awaiting repair parts from the depot. Daimler predicts that employing 3D Systems SLS 380 printers in their bus repair shops can increase flexibility and efficiency while reducing time to parts-in-hand by as much as 75 percent.
These benefits are what is driving a boom in the automotive parts 3D printing market. According to a research report published by MarketsandMarkets, the automotive 3D printing market is projected to grow from $2.9 billion in 2022 to $7.9 billion by 2027, at a compound annual growth rate of 21.7 percent.
Most of those parts will be inexpensive plastic bits, the report notes, but Mercedes is currently printing metal parts for its vehicles. Daimler Buses’ certified 3D printing partners will be able to manufacture spare parts locally for a variety of under-hood and interior applications, such as pins, covers, and inserts whose absence could delay a vehicle’s return to service.
The first part Mercedes is printing in the SLS 380 is a thermostat housing for old Unimog trucks, a vehicle for which the parts inventory is understandably dwindling and for which tooling for new production makes no financial sense. For buses, the company is printing new fare collection box housings.
“We are very pleased that we are expanding the revolutionary solution with 3D Systems, one of the world’s leading 3D printer manufacturers, and realizing our vision for decentralized spare parts production,” said Ralf Anderhofstadt, head of Daimler Truck and Buses center of competence for additive manufacturing.
While developing the physical capability to print parts is the obviously necessary first step, there are also legal factors to be sorted when manufacturing parts whose design is protected intellectual property. That’s where Mercedes has turned to Oqton for software and Wibu-Systems for digital rights and IP management.

A batch of thermostat housings emerges from the SLS 380 printer. DAIMLER TRUCK AND BUS
"The Digital Rights Management enables us to shorten service times through decentralized production in order to further maximize productivity and revenue for commercial vehicle companies,” said Anderhofstadt. “In addition, the sensible use of industrial 3D printing results in reducing the complexity in the supply chains."
Bus companies using Mercedes buses and 3DP service bureaus can join Daimler Buses’ network of 3D printing-certified partners by purchasing a license for 3DXpert additive manufacturing software through Daimler Buses’ Omniplus 3D-Printing License eShop.
The “prepare and print” license lets customers decrypt the encrypted Mercedes design files for the parts needed for a specific repair job and then produce the only exact quantity needed on the SLS 380 printer. Daimler Buses plans for 3DP service bureaus to be able to connect any 3D Systems’ polymer or metal 3D printer to the system.

The 3D Systems SLS 380 printer. 3D SYSTEMS
“By commercializing this digital service solution, Daimler Buses is not only adopting a new technology; they’re fundamentally reshaping the supply chain for greater resilience and efficiency,” said Jaime Garcia, 3D Systems additive solutions manager for automotive and commercial transportation. “I look forward to seeing how the capabilities grow as we add other polymer as well as metal 3D printers in the future,” he said.
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