The BMW Group has taken another major step toward a circular economy. At its Additive Manufacturing Campus in Oberschleißheim, southern Germany, the company has begun to recycle waste powder and end-of-life components into new 3D printing materials. The process supports the sustainable use of plastics and enables innovative recycling on a large industrial scale. Previously, used powder was often discarded, but now this material has been processed into a new filament. The filament is wound onto spools and then installed in FDM 3D printers. Additionally, the campus also produces recycled granulate for FGF (Fused Granulate Fabrication) technology, which has enabled the manufacture of large-volume components for BMW.
The recycled materials can be re-used directly in FDM printers.
From Start-Up to Serial Production
Under the leadership of Paul Victor Osswald, project manager since 2018, the recycling project has developed from a pilot phase to a full industrial scale. Starting with the “bottleUP” project, which recycles PET bottles, prototypes were successfully produced using the company’s recycled materials back in 2021. Today, up to 12 tons of waste powder is recycled annually, which reduces costs, increases quality, and improves ergonomics in the plant. As Osswald emphasizes: “It’s an exciting task to be able to constantly develop and try out new processes. The use of waste powder and disused 3D-printed components is an important building block for a functioning and efficient circular economy.“
The Additive Manufacturing Campus in Oberschleißheim serves as a center for know-how and technology transfer. It not only supplies recycled material, but also provides sophisticated printing parameters, training, and comprehensive support for production sites around the world. The campus is in close cooperation with other manufacturing plants where suitable 3D printers are validated and printing profiles are developed. This provides the manufacturers a complete package for the fast and safe introduction of recycled materials on site.
The company plans to release more prototypes created from the recycled materials.
Versatile Applications Prove Themselves in Practice
At the BMW plant in Munich, a recycled 3D printed component is already in use for precise steering rod fixation. In Berlin, special printed support aids are used for decorative finishing on motorcycles. In Dingolfing, a town in southern Bavaria, printed magnetic screw holders prevent small parts from getting lost during assembly. This approach not only ensures ecological benefits such as lower material requirements and reduced waste volumes, but also promotes innovation directly at the production site. This allows for short iteration cycles, flexible adjustments, and quick solutions that protect against failures on the assembly line.
With the switch from old powder to recycled printing material, BMW is not only proving its technological leadership, but is also actively shaping the transition to a circular economy. Its success is based on systematic progress: from the start-up idea to pilot material and finally with a standard solution. The Additive Manufacturing Campus is proving itself to be an innovation hub for ecological efficiency, economic variability, and global implementation. More information can be found HERE.
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*Photo Credit: BMW Group