Former talk show host Jay Leno is a major 3D printing fanboy, exploring metal laser sintering for a recent episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage”.

If there’s one thing that the former late night talk show host Jay Leno loves as much as making people laugh, it’s his automotive garage shop. The famous comedian has left the primetime spotlight behind to launch the show Jay Leno’s Garage on NBC and YouTube.

Last week, Leno brought Bry Ewan from Stratasys Direct Manufacturing onto the show to explain how Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) technology works. This professional-grade system is capable of producing complex metal parts without the limitations of conventional manufacturing.

On his latest episode, the renowned entertainer showcases various metal 3D printed components for a vintage steam car. DMLS enables Jay’s garage to skip the plastic mold process and reproduce parts for automobiles that are long obsolete.

After a brief introduction and a couple of wisecracks, Ewan steps in to explain how Stratasys Direct Manufacturing — the 3D printing service branch of Stratasys – utilizes metal 3D printing.

Jay Leno: A Unique Relationship With 3D Printing

Throughout the episode, Ewan teaches Leno and his mechanic Bernard Juchli how the professional-grade system works. The trio goes on to converse about the advantages that DMLS offers over traditional manufacturing methods, including design freedom and quick production time.

In Leno’s case, his garage is using Stratasys Direct Manufacturing to create parts for his out-of-production steam car. After confirming the correct dimensions of the part via plastic prototyping, the model is sent off for metal printing. This allows the team to redesign components that are no longer readily available or are unaffordable. Leno said:

“When you have old parts like this for a white steam car, there are barely any cars left–let alone parts–this is a revelation. You can actually have parts made in metal that are of a better quality than they were originally.”

Back in 2015, Leno was an avid customer of 3D Systems Quickparts, which he also used to print complex automotive parts. At the time, the famous entertainer was working on the 650-horsepower EcoJet concept car.

The Benefits of Direct Metal Laser Printing for the Automotive Sector

The DMLS printing process used by Stratasys Direct Manufacturing offers a wide range of benefits to the automotive sector. Outside of design freedom and increased production efficiency, metal 3D printed components also offers exceptional functionality comparable to casted metal.

In the video, Ewan describes this laser-based manufacturing process as ”micro-welding”. DMLS is particularly useful in car manufacture. It offers the ability to produce components with intricate cavities, undercuts, and draft angles. In addition, metal 3D printing helps reduce weight as well as production time.

Stratasys Direct Manufacturing utilizes seven different professional-grade metal powders with this technology, including aluminum, titanium, and others. With a whopping million-dollar price tag, the service bureau acts as the middleman between the consumer and the technology.

With Jay Leno thrusting 3D printing into the spotlight, it’s clear that the comedian sees great potential in this technology. The further it progresses in the future, the better Leno will be able to restore his automobiles from the past.