Posted on 09/16/2014 6:56:45 AM PDT by SoFloFreeper
In a matter of two days, history was made at Chicago's McCormick Place, as the world's first 3-D printed electric car -- named Strati, Italian for "layers"-- took its first test drive.
"Less than 50 parts are in this car," said Jay Rogers from Local Motors.
(Excerpt) Read more at m.wyff4.com ...
The point of this demonstration isn’t to suggest we can print cars. Rather, it is a change in manufacturing technology that means we can print body parts, dash parts, interior parts, etc. that don’t require expensive purpose-specific tooling, facilities, and personnel. It can be done by computer and goes straight into production. The component parts can be quickly altered if they don’t fit and can be modified as desired. Instead of warehousing component parts, you simply ‘warehouse’ the printer and the only parts lead time is the time required to print the part. It reduces costs and increases versatility.
Big move forward in manufacturing technology.
Yes, it can reduce the need to manufacture outside the US, that is, if you can reduce labor costs. Once the overall car’s production cost is reduced sufficiently that the labor required costs less than the transportation of the vehicle from a foreign manufacturer, SURPRISE, you can make the car competitively in the US. Manufacturing for export, however, is a different challenge.
“And it would look like crap and the parts wouldn’t fit right and it would fall apart as soon as you tried to drive it.”
I kinda doubt that. I’ve seen some pretty nice fiberglass boats made in a garage, and they were far stronger that that golf cart body.
All that you say is true. However, imagine a day not too far off when every home has a 3-D printer. Buying the composite material , the non-printable components and paying the license fee for the design (or pulling one from public domain) means I can get a 2nd car or a commuter vehicle built in my own garage for the investment of a few weekends. That makes the 44 hour print time essentially a non-issue.
Not everyone will want to build their own car just as some people don’t like mowing their own lawn but it could easily be possible and could be very competitive.
I really wouldn’t enjoy getting hit by a Toyota Camry while driving a Strati. Not to mention an Escalade or Hummer.
Nice to see ORNL deeply involved with the efforts, something good may actually come of it.
“Yeah, “less time,” if you throw out the time required to become a “carpenter.””
Carpenters aren’t a new invention, there are millions of them. No need to train them from scratch.
Really?
Works fine.
Your info is outdated.
That was my first thought as well. I think even a Smart Car would fare better in that contest.
“I kinda doubt that. I’ve seen some pretty nice fiberglass boats made in a garage, and they were far stronger that that golf cart body.”
Made in 44 hours ... I really doubt that.
Also the ‘golf cart body’ is carbon fiber plastic. How do you know that the fiberglass boats are far stronger?
'65 Marcos GT
Even a regular golf cart would come out ahead in a crash with that.
You’d not feel a thing.................
3D printing, robotics, Cad/cam = end of UAW. Small shops can make custom cars all over now, no need for big manufacturing plants. A guy with a big garage can make custom engines with automatic 5 axis milling machines, etc. Yes the paradigm is changing allowing for decentralization of assembly of automobiles.
Where I see this having a near future payoff is where they print the battery for the electrics into the body as they print the vehicle.
Carbon fiber is super strong in relation to weight, but it wouldn’t be as strong as a fiberglass body.
Both carbon fiber and fiberglass can be hand laid in the same manner. The carbon fiber will be lighter and more expensive, but it won’t handle impact as well.
Graphite fishing rods are light and quite strong, but they can’t take a beating like fiberglass can, and when they break they shatter.
From your lips to God's ears.
I know, but it was a dig at the battery distance. Of course that’s highly dependent on varying factors. It was just a joke.
Cool.
The unions already are predominantly made up of gov’t workers.
That is the future of unions, it’s inevitable.
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