Will we 3D print entire cars?
Stratasys, the 3D printer manufacturer, has just announced that it will be the first to 3D print an entire car. This 3D printed automobile body will also actually go into production. Stratasys is making the car together with Kor Ecologic.
Kor Ecologic aims to make a fuel efficient, “electric / liquid-fuel hybrid reaches more than 200 mpg, highway and 100 mpg, city in U.S. gallons with either gasoline or ethanol (250 mpg highway /125 mpg city, Imperial gallons).” The car will be called the Urbee Hybrid. The Urbee competed in the 2010 X-Prize competition and will now made for real with Stratasys” FDM technology. The car will be 3D printed in ABS plastic.
This is a big step forward in Direct Digital Manufacturing. Hopefully the coming years will be peppered by more examples of people making short production runs of actual products using 3D printing. Because this sort of thing is exactly what we want to do too. You can read more on the Stratasys site here.
News via RedEyeTim
