World’s First 3D Printed Supercar is Unveiled

[Wretched]

The automobile industry has been relatively stagnant for the past several decades. While new car designs are released annually, and computer technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, the manufacturing processes and the effects that these processes have on our environment have remain relatively unchanged. Over the past decade or so, 3D printing has shown some promise in the manufacturing of automobiles, yet it has not quite lived up to its potential, at least according to Kevin Czinger, founder and CEO of a company called Divergent Microfactories (DM).

Today, at the O’Reilly Solid Conference in San Francisco, Kevin Czinger is about to shock the world with a keynote presentation he will give titled, “Dematerializing Auto Manufacturing.”

The vehicle, called the Blade, has 1/3 the emissions of an electric car and 1/50 the factory capital costs of other manufactured cars. Unlike previous 3D printed vehicles that we have seen, such as Local Motors’ car that they have printed several times, DM’s manufacturing process differs quite a bit. Instead of 3D printing an entire vehicle, they 3D print aluminum ‘nodes’ which act in a similar fashion to Lego blocks. 3D printing allows DM to create elaborate and complex shaped nodes which are then joined together by off-the-shelf carbon fiber tubing. Once the nodes are printed, the chassis of a car can be completely assembled in a matter of minutes by semiskilled workers. The process of constructing the chassis is one which requires much less capital and other resources, and doesn’t require the extremely skilled and trained workers that other car manufacturing techniques rely on. The important goal that DM is striving for, and it appears they have accomplished, is the reduction of pollution and environmental impact.

Today, Czinger and the rest of the team at Divergent Microfactories will be unveiling their first prototype car, the Blade.

The Blade is one heck of a supercar, capable of going from 0-60 MPH in a mere 2.2 seconds. It weighs just 1,400 pounds, and is powered by a 4-cylinder 700-horsepower bi-fuel internal combustion engine that is capable of using either gasoline or compressed natural gas as fuel. The car chassis is made up of approximately 70 3D printed aluminum nodes, and it took only 30 minutes to build the chassis by hand. The chassis itself weighs just 61 pounds.

The initial plan is for DM to scale up to an annual production of 10,000 of these limited supercars, making them available to potential customers. This isn’t all though, as DM doesn’t merely plan on just being satisfied by manufacturing cars via this method. They plan on making the technology available to others as well. On top of selling these supercars, they will also sell the tools and technologies so that small teams of innovators and entrepreneurs can open microfactories and build their own cars, based on their own unique designs. Whether it is a sedan, pickup truck or another type of supercar, it is all possible with this proprietary 3D printed node technology.
Pre-painted Blade supercar

The node-enabled chassis of cars built using this unique 3D printing method, are up to 90% lighter, much stronger, and more durable than cars built with more traditional techniques. Could we be looking at a great ideology change within the automobile manufacturing industry? Lighter, stronger, more durable, more affordable, environmentally satisfying vehicles are definitely something that just about anyone should consider a step in the right direction.

3D printing has been touted as a technology of the future, for the future, enabling individual customization of many products. Now, the ability for entrepreneurs to enter an industry previously overrun by huge corporations could mean a future with individualized, custom vehicles which perform and appear just the way we want them. If Divergent Microfactories has a say, this will be our future, and that future isn’t too far off.

http://3dprint.com/74810/3d-printed-supercar-blade/

[Polyal]

OMG custom panels and body shells!

[Yellow_Festiva]

WOW... insane!

Wait till they start to 3D print houses and other large items from scratch...

[OzJavelin]

My interpretation of this is that the "space frame" NODES are 3D printed .. most of the rest of it seems to be conventional? I don't think the body panels are 3D printed on this prototype?

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

WOW... insane!

Wait till they start to 3D print houses and other large items from scratch...

Like this bridge?
http://www.sciencealert.com/autonomo...e-in-amsterdam

[Express]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

WOW... insane!

Wait till they start to 3D print houses and other large items from scratch...

Not too long ago the papers had a house that was made from 3D printed building materials.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Express

Not too long ago the papers had a house that was made from 3D printed building materials.

How long before bricks and mortar are a thing of the past?

Think about the scope of what you can do! You can pretty much print (or not print) the water pipes, drains, insulation, fittings and fixtures like toilets, kitchen benches, TV units, tubes for electrical, door and window frames and skirting, columns - the works!

Different colours are fed into the machine as required.

All you need is a sound foundation and a track system that covers the footprint of the place.

It will happen.

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

My interpretation of this is that the "space frame" NODES are 3D printed .. most of the rest of it seems to be conventional? I don't think the body panels are 3D printed on this prototype?

YES YOU ARE RIGHT, AND THE PRINTED PIECES LOOK NO MORE COMPLEX THAN A TRADITIONAL CAST ALUMINIUM PART.
Oh ****!.. not yelling just not going to retype it
I think there is a future for prined parts but im not sure this is reinventing the 'wheel' so to speak.
the design is very 1950's space frame lotus 7 or similar just using more modern materials... sort of
As for the bridge, that's beginning to show real adventure and innovation...bring it on

JP

[jpblue1000]

http://architectureau.com/articles/p...eid=e7a0d63077

JP

[Express]

This is the article I read.

The house is in China.


A 3D printed mansion in China.



http://www.news.com.au/finance/real-...-1227411232284