World's first 3D printed car was driven for the first time this Saturday off of the showroom floor at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago. According to multiple reports, the world's first 3D printed car was produced by Arizona-based Local Motors, and it has been dubbed "The Strati."
However, according to the International Business Times UK, this 3D-printed vehicle released this weekend is not the first ever 3D-printed car. Apparently, the real world's first 3D printed car goes to the "Urbee 2." If the "Strati" took 44 hours to make, the "Urbee" took 2,500 hours to make last year.
What makes the "Strati" so much more interesting is that the entire car is composed of only 40 parts in total.
This world's first 3D printed car with 40 printed parts is another addition to the exciting year of 3D-printing.
According to the IBTimes UK, the technology has already been used in medical breakthroughs to save lives in Spain, printing of multiple houses in China and even building an entire castle in a back garden in the US.
Yahoo! reports that the world's first 3D printed car with 40 printed parts was built by a team of engineers, to make it roadworthy even with only printed out pieces. The 44 hours it took to finish the car already composed its beginning to end. Not only that, the process was accomplished in front of a live audience.
Although the real title of the world's first 3D printed car was essentially gotten by Kor Ecologic's "Urbee," Local Motors' "Strati" made use of a design wherein many parts of the car-including the seats and door panels -are enveloped into the body of the car, according to Techly.com.
Parts which were printed in 3D included the car's drivetrain, suspension, battery, tires, wheels, wiring, electric motor and windshield, chassis, dashboard, seats and body. All these were 3D-printed from carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic, reports the IBTimes.
According to Yahoo!, the body of the world's first 3D printed car with 40 printed pieces were 3D printed through the process called direct digital manufacturing or DDM. The vehicle's propulsion reportedly still used a traditional motor, which in this case was from the electric motor of a Renault Twizy.
Other mechanical parts which weren't printed included the wires, suspension, and the battery. Needless to say, the "Strati" still used less man-made parts as compared to a conventional car. According to Techly.com, the creators of the world's first 3D printed car made in just 44 hours used a filament which combined carbon-fibre and plastic.
The car's body was reportedly assembled layer by layer as IMTS attendees watched. The printer used to create the world's first 3D printed car in 44 hours was a massive 3D printer called the Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) machine. The technology behind the car is based on research conducted by Local Motors, together with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) and metal fabrication equipment makers Cincinnati Inc.
According to the IBTImes UK, the four are trying to revolutionise the car-manufacturing world, trying lower costs, vehicle weight and speed up product delivery. The "Strati" has a range of 190 km on a single charge, and weighs 680 kilograms, a fraction of what cars weigh today, reports Techly.com. However, the vehicle's top speed is only 40mph, while its battery lasts for between 120 and 150 miles.
Local Motors' engineer James Earle told USA Today, "We made the first in May and drove it in June. It drove marvellously, much better than I expected." He added, "One of the surprises was how quiet it is. There's no sound from the frame, because it's all one piece of carbon fibre."
Apparently, the machine makes it possible to print 40 pounds of reinforced plastic per hour. According to the IBTimes UK, BAAM is able to print parts which measures 3ft x 5ft x 10ft.
Andrew Jamison, CEO of Cincinnati Inc. said, "The BAAM machine can be used for actual production. The deposition rate of 40 pounds per hour of carbon reinforced ABS plastic and the large size mean that large parts, like a car, can be produced using additive technology."
After the whole process of creating the world's first 3D printed car in a relatively quick 44 hours, the "Strati" was taken out for its first test drive around the trade show.
According to Yahoo!, the futuristic design of the world's first 3D printed car was made by Michele Anoé of Turin, Italy. Anoé won an online design contest to design how the Local Motors prototype vehicle would look amongst 206 other entrants in June.
Not only did his design make it into the real world, but he also won $5,000.
Reports say that the idea behind the "Strati" is to show the viability of the 3D printing technology and to prove its competency in the automotive industry. The world's first 3D printed car is not for sale though, but Yahoo! reports that the company is planning to release such cars to the public in the next few months.
After the success of the world's first 3D printed car, Jay Rogers of Local Motors told WGNtv that he believes the "Strati" could begin manufacturing such automobiles by 2015. The initial retail cost could reportedly range from US$18,000 to US$30,000, with option to add customised features.
World's first 3D printed car may unlikely be driven on a highway, since it can only speed up to around 65 kph. However, an urban city dweller, among other niche markets, can still make use of such a car, and of course, a 3D-printed car is still pretty cool.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
