Caterpillar eyes 3D printing for production parts

This past November Caterpillar opened its new Additive Manufacturing (AM) Factory at its Tech Center in Mossville, Illinois, U.S, to consolidate and expand its 3D printing activities and to better serve its internal and external customers by advancing the “disruptive” technology. The AM Factory currently houses many state-of-the-art machines, with plans to expand. These span the gamut of technologies including DMLS (direct metal laser sintering), SLS (selective laser sintering), FDM (fused deposition modeling), SLA (stereo lithography), and material jetting technology. Additionally, located off-site but nearby at the company's foundry is a binderjet sand printer. Twelve people work in the Additive Manufacturing group, including engineer Brittany Hancock. She recently gave select media a tour of the new Mossville facility and discussed Caterpillar's current and future plans regarding the use of 3D printing technology.

Where was Caterpillar's 3D printing done before this new facility?