Hyundai and Kia Open a Dedicated Additive Manufacturing Center

Three Decades in the Making

Hyundai Motor Group installed its first industrial 3D printer back in 1996. This month, the company opened something it never had before: a facility built specifically for additive manufacturing. The Additive Manufacturing Solution Center sits inside the Advanced Mobility Solutions building at Hyundai's Namyang R&D Center in Hwaseong, South Korea.

The 1.5-million-square-foot Namyang campus already houses more than 10,000 engineers. The new center gives them direct access to metal and polymer AM processes under one roof. That includes vat photopolymerisation for fine prototypes, metal powder bed fusion for vehicle parts, and directed energy deposition for larger structural pieces.

From Digital Blueprint to Finished Part

Every fabricated component goes through the center's Quality Inspection Cell. Engineers check dimensions, run mechanical tests, and perform metallurgical analysis in house. The goal is simple: make parts that meet production standards without waiting for external validation.

Beyond prototyping, the AMSC already produces jigs, fixtures, and service parts for discontinued models where conventional tooling no longer makes economic sense. Motorsports components such as anti-roll bar blades and brake duct rails also come from the center. In one heritage project, engineers reproduced a side-sill panel for the original Hyundai Pony by 3D scanning the surviving car, reverse engineering the part, and printing a replacement.

Why It Matters

Hyundai wants to be a top-three EV brand by 2030. Additive manufacturing helps get there by letting designers optimise parts for weight and performance without being locked into traditional tooling. The AMSC consolidates design, production, post-processing, and validation in one place. That shortens development cycles and keeps more IP in house.

The center also supports the group's broader push into distributed manufacturing. Multiple printing locations and local print farms could keep production moving even if one facility faces disruption.