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World’s first 3D-printed car - video — Parallax Forums

World’s first 3D-printed car - video

Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
edited 2014-09-16 09:07 in General Discussion
http://wot.motortrend.com/1409_local_motors_reveals_first_3d_printed_car_wvideo.html
The Local Motors Strati is the world’s first 3D-printed car. In order to showcase the future of Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM) or 3D printing, Local Motors began printing the Strati at the 2014 International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago this week.

The idea behind a 3D-printed car is to simplify the design, eliminate the initial investment in tooling or the high cost of custom-built parts, and reduce the total number of parts needed to build an automobile, the company outlined in its project brief. Local Motors claims a modern vehicle has more than 20,000 parts, while the Strati has just 40.

Total printing time for the single piece structure is said to take 44 hours with complete vehicle assembly taking two days. Other advantages include the ability to quickly change the design without the need for new tooling.

Comments

  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2014-09-15 15:55
    Saw that this morning at 4:30. (Was I waking up, or trying to get a another hour sleep?)

    Maybe could fit into Formula SAE.:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_SAE

    We deal with a couple of colleges in the New England area that run races at our events with FSAE.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2014-09-15 21:53
    And what's next? Maybe a 3-D girl friend to ride along.

    Mr. Robinson always said the future belonged to plastics.

    (A 40 part car? Where are the after-market retailers going to go?)
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2014-09-16 06:00
    As long as the speeds are low this technology might find a use making golf carts and riding lawn mowers. But this car looks impossible to repair after a minor fender bender, let alone what would happen in a serious accident.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2014-09-16 08:26
    All the motor scooters in Taiwan (and the rest of Asia) are now predominantly plastic. One saves quite a bit on fuel by not using steel. Carbon fiber can do the heavy structural stuff. And there is no rust.

    But I must say, plastic scooters do tend to acquire their own special patina when aging... cracks, scratches, duct tape and bailing wire repairs... And the old motor scooters tend to suffer rot from the ultra-violet rays of the tropical sun. Really old ones tend to just crumble.

    The 3-D printer could segment parts that crunch to be replace-able. Automotive repairs are becoming extremely exotic as a hug array of plastics, glued and riveted aluminum structure, and carbon fiber are all being mixed together. Classic car restoration may just grind to a halt in 50 years as old cars won't have the means to allow craftsman to restore them.. it will take an army of robots.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2014-09-16 09:02
    Loopy Byteloose wrote: »

    But I must say, plastic scooters do tend to acquire their own special patina when aging... cracks, scratches, duct tape and bailing wire repairs.

    What? No chewing gum in Taiwan? :)
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2014-09-16 09:07
    Martin_H wrote: »
    As long as the speeds are low this technology might find a use making golf carts and riding lawn mowers. But this car looks impossible to repair after a minor fender bender, let alone what would happen in a serious accident.

    I think I heard 40 MPH, but I guess that would depend on the motors used.
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