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IrelandFord prints hood holders as automakers rethink factory tools
CNBC's fast-starting report shows how factory printers can replace supplier orders, with Rivian saying its machines typically pay for themselves within a year.
CNBC
Story of Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 88,960 views a day, 16 times a normal first day on this channel (5,564).
How 3D Printing Is Transforming The Auto Industry
What does a car factory actually need from a 3D printer? Sometimes, it's something as practical as a tool to hold a hood in place.
At Ford's River Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan, CNBC shows printers making hood holders, torque bit sockets and tools for smoothing adhesive. These aren't necessarily pieces a driver will ever see. They're equipment that helps workers build the car, along with temporary replacement parts that can be made on-site.
That less glamorous side of 3D printing is central to "How 3D Printing Is Transforming The Auto Industry," which drew roughly 65,000 views in its first thirteen hours, far ahead of CNBC's usual pace for Shorts.
The process builds objects from digital designs by adding material in layers, using substances ranging from plastic to metal and carbon-fiber composites. For automakers, the appeal isn't only the finished object: it's avoiding the wait and logistics involved in ordering tooling from suppliers. Rivian tells CNBC those savings typically cover the cost of its machines within a year.
Viewers are asking where the savings go. Several question whether lower manufacturing costs will mean lower prices for buyers, while another draws a distinction between customized, low-volume work and mass production using molds. The Ford examples offer a concrete picture of where printers already fit: making the tools behind the assembly line.
Published on Trari
Where next?
What viewers say
The application is great for low volume and customized manufacturing but I can't see it over take mass producing molds or dies. In one cycle a mold can produce hundreds of parts where it would take hours to print them.
@rockys7726See it on YouTubeThis technology will definitely bring some proper innovation to the automotive industry
@urbanstrencanSee it on YouTube
Public comments from the video's page on YouTube
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- Channel
- CNBC
- Subscribers
- 4,180,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 3,329,690
- Channel views, pace per day
- 346,559 (on a normal day: 481,289)
- Video published
- November 9, 2026
- Video views so far
- 64,713 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 88,960
The numbers
The factory-floor explainer is drawing views much faster than CNBC's usual Shorts. Its opening hours have also brought more comments than a typical full first day.
💡 Test your knowledge
In which state is Ford's River Rouge Complex?
CNBC identifies the factory location as Dearborn, Michigan.