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The Volkswagen Academy in Emden, Germany, is revolutionizing automotive education by incorporating 3D printing into its training programs. As part of the VW Group’s commitment to hands-on learning, trainees from all over the company engage in challenging 3D design and printing tasks to prepare them for VW’s transition from a car company to a tech company.

Trainees at the Volkswagen Academy in Emden, Germany, learn 3D design, printing, and problem-solving (Source: Prusa)

The billion-dollar Emden facility is a flagship for the company’s Accelerate strategy launched in 2021 to strengthen efficiency and speed up its shift towards electromobility and environmentally friendly vehicle production. Emden is the brand’s pure e-production plant in Germany.

3D printing plays a crucial role in daily tasks at the academy, with trainees using it extensively for both training and fulfilling part requests from elsewhere in the facility that range from custom tools, jigs, and fixtures to concept prototypes designed to boost efficiency on the production line.

Engineering Tomorrow. Today.

Volkswagen selected Prusa 3D printers, starting with one in 2015 and growing to nearly 60 today, including the three new Original Prusa XLs. The machines are arranged in two printer farms, one equipped with a collector robot. More than 1,900 printing hours are logged weekly, and in addition to designing and printing, trainees actively maintain the print farms.

The Volkswagen Academy in Emden participated in an external beta testing of the Original Prusa XL and now has three, with more on the way (Source: Prusa)

According to lead trainer Herbert Kretzmer in a new article on Prusa’s blog, the goal of the academy is not to teach employees to control a specific machine or master a particular workflow; it’s about inspiring a creative mindset and preparing them for any challenge that comes their way.

Trainees, most initially unfamiliar with 3D printing, access online courses from Prusa Academy to learn the basics of 3D printing and model slicing. Mentors guide the process from design to printing, setting up an environment focused on creativity.

Innovations Created by Trainees

During a recent Prusa staff visit to the academy, they watched one trainee develop a requested part aimed at improving the manufacturing process. “Rieke Ubben was tasked to create an auxiliary model for attaching labels to the new ID.4 model. She created a template that perfectly copies the lines of the ID.4 and can be mounted right at the power cord cover,” Prusa staff reported on their blog.

Volkswagen Academy trainee Rieke Ubben designed and 3D printed a custom tool for the new ID.4 electric vehicle (Source: Prusa)

Another interesting practical application came directly from the assembly lines. The trainees were asked to tackle the inconvenience caused by an unwieldy tailgate screwdriver. They designed and 3D printed a customized handle using nylon, significantly improving the tool’s usability in production.

“What I love about 3D printing is that there are so many possibilities. You can just let your creativity go wild,” trainee Sebastian Hartung told Prusa staff. “At first, I learned traditional milling and drilling, now, I’m stationed at the 3D printing farm and learning the additive manufacturing process. And it’s been mind-blowing.”

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Thanks to Prusa Research for allowing us to share their story. For more, check out the Prusa blog post here. All photos by Jakub Kmošek.

License: The text of "Inside Volkswagen’s 3D Printing School, Featuring Prusa" by All3DP Pro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.