The first test drive of 3D printed ‘Strati’ car

Posted on by Malta 3D Printing

Recently we’ve reported on Local Motors and their 3D printed car, the Strati. This was successfully printed in less than two days, however one question remained:

Will it drive?

http://3dprint.com/15139/local-motors-3d-printed-strati/

loc-1

Local Motors’ 3D Printed ‘Strati’ Car Has Just Taken Its First Test Drive

When it comes to 3D printing, new breakthroughs and new achievements are being realized almost on a daily basis. From 3D printable human tissue, to a 3D printed life-size castle, and now a 3D printed automobile, the technology never ceases to amaze.

This week, at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago, Arizona-based automobile manufacturer Local Motors stole the show. Over the six day span of the IMTS, the company managed to 3D print, and assemble an entire automobile, called the ‘Strati’, live in front of spectators.

Although the Strati is not the first ever car to be 3D printed, the advancements made by Local Motor with help from Cincinnati Inc, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, have produced a vehicle in days rather than months.

Last year, engineer Jim Kor designed the Urbee 2 3D printed car. The vehicle which weighed about half of what a typical automobile would weigh, was as strong as steel. What sets Local Motors’ ‘Strati’ 3D printed car apart from the likes of  the Urbee 2, is the fact that they managed to print and construct the entire vehicle in just six days, whereas the Urbee 2 took 2500 print hours to complete.

This breakthrough was made possible by a machine produced by Cincinnati Inc., in cooperation with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) machine is capable of printing at speeds unheard of on traditional 3D printers. It is unbelievably able to lay down up to 40 pounds of carbon infused ABS plastic per hour, with precise accuracy. After an exciting six days of printing, in front of a live audience, the vehicle is finally complete. The only question that remained was, ‘Does it drive?”

As you can see by the Vine clips we have posted within this article, it most certainly does! The car, which features just 40 parts, drove out of McCormick Place in Chicago just moments ago. As to what Local Motors plans to do next with the Strati 3D printed car, now that the vehicle has been printed and drives like a charm, they will seek to launch production-level 3D printed vehicles for sale to the public in the coming months.

This is certainly a big step for all companies involved, as well as the 3D printing industry in general. Let us know your thoughts on this amazing accomplishment in the Local Motors 3D printed car forum thread on 3DPB.com.

3DPRINT.COM
by  | SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

The marvels of 3D printing

Posted on by Malta 3D Printing

CHECK OUT our latest blog post! Analysing the impact of 3D printing on houses, cars and boats, we take a look at WinSun; the eco-friendly house builders, Kor Ecologic Ltd; the 3D car printers and the space age looking URBEE 2, a completely 3D printed vehicle!

http://malta3dprinting.blogspot.com/…/the-marvels-of-3d-pri…

The Marvels of 3D Printing – Houses, Cars and Boats!

If you’ve been following our blog, you’ve most likely been impressed with 3D printing’s versatility – stylish casts, augmented reality sets, retro gaming devices and even beautiful dresses – but now, prepare to marvel in 3DP’s greatest achievements.

Think big – both in scope and size – and you may come close to what we’re about to show you.

We’re taking a look at 3D printable houses, cars and boats – in a quick review sure to please the techies and leave the average person dumbfounded.

You may be asking – how can a relatively small device create a house, or rather, a home, or even a vehicle?

Simply put, these are no average printers – reports claim that the behemoth used to create houses is 10 metres wide and 6.6 metres tall, placing it towards the top of the 3D printing food chain.

The video below captures an ambitious Chinese company’s plans to mass produce houses. Oh, and these aren’t made of plastic! Using recycled stone and quick-drying cement, WinSun, the company responsible, are able to construct 10 eco-friendly dwellings a day!

As we look towards our Chinese printing cousins – we must admire their efficiency and applaud their intention to plug a hole in the market. With China’s property bubble only beginning to show signs of popping in 2014, millions are currently occupying less than adequate living quarters.

Sitting at only a few thousand dollars each, these cosy houses would make a perfect home for the millions of students in Beijing, for example.

Besides being cost-effective, 3D printing is all about environmental protection and longevity. In line with this, Kor Ecologic ltd. are aiming to reduce the billion vehicles already present on our polluted roads – by, you guessed it, 3D printing cars.

As per Korecologic.com, by the time 2050 rolls around the world’s car population will rise to a staggering 2.5 billion. Clearly it would be advantageous for the children of tomorrow to purchase one type of car when they reach their coming of age – one that supports, rather than destroys the environment.

With 3D printing ushering in a new wave of efficiency and sustainability for those knowledgeable enough to harness its power – one should certainly consider a 3D printable car as a gift for the near future.

So, what 3D printed cars are currently available on the market?

The URBEE 2 – a space age looking vehicle with an internal and external structure entirely 3D printed – would be able to travel an extraordinary 4000 kilometers with only 10 gallons of bio-fuel!

Malta 3D Printing is very excited about this prospect! As an upgrade from its predecessor, the URBEE (a worldwide sensation in 2011), the small but stylish URBEE 2 promises to deliver reliability and affordability for a better tomorrow.

Moving on to the final inspirational product that we’ve chosen to feature on our blog today, we have a pair of 3D printed boats sure to turn heads across the seven seas.

One of thee promising creations is from a group of passionate American students from the University of Washington with their ‘milk jug’ style boat – and another from our friends from the East, a Chinese boat that dipped its toes in the water for the first time less than 2 weeks ago!

The group of students who designed and crafted the ‘milk jug’ boat entered it into the annual Seattle Milk Carton Derby, finishing the race in second place! After 8 long weeks of research and preparation, the student team used recycled and melted milk cartons to build their sea vessel – as opposed to the standard thermoplastics normally used.

The Chinese boat, created by the country’s largest 3D printer, is a two-metre long boat weighing in at 35 kilograms, and made of nylon. Similar to the American entry, the Chinese boat supports two adults.

Malta 3D Printing believes that group of UW students really outdid themselves. Both companies used a minimalist approach, recycling different materials to achieve aesthetically pleasing and practical products.

Of course, these projects are not for any regular amateur – requiring plenty of materials and knowledge in the world of 3D printing and their respective areas (architecture, aerodynamics, buoyancy, to name a few).

We hope to see more groundbreaking additions to the 3D printed world soon!

MALTA3DPRINTING.BLOGSPOT.COM
by  | 29 July 2014

The Marvels of 3D Printing – Houses, Cars and Boats!

Posted on by Malta 3D Printing

If you’ve been following our blog, you’ve most likely been impressed with 3D printing’s versatility – stylish casts, augmented reality sets, retro gaming devices and even beautiful dresses – but now, prepare to marvel in 3DP’s greatest achievements.

Think big – both in scope and size – and you may come close to what we’re about to show you.

A Giant 3D Printer in Action

We’re taking a look at 3D printable houses, cars and boats – in a quick review sure to please the techies and leave the average person dumbfounded.

You may be asking – how can a relatively small device create a house, or rather, a home, or even a vehicle?

Simply put, these are no average printers – reports claim that the behemoth used to create houses is 10 metres wide and 6.6 metres tall, placing it towards the top of the 3D printing food chain.

The video below captures an ambitious Chinese company’s plans to mass produce houses. Oh, and these aren’t made of plastic! Using recycled stone and quick-drying cement, WinSun, the company responsible, are able to construct 10 eco-friendly dwellings a day!

As we look towards our Chinese printing cousins – we must admire their efficiency and applaud their intention to plug a hole in the market. With China’s property bubble only beginning to show signs of popping in 2014, millions are currently occupying less than adequate living quarters.

Sitting at only a few thousand dollars each, these cosy houses would make a perfect home for the millions of students in Beijing, for example.

Besides being cost-effective, 3D printing is all about environmental protection and longevity. In line with this, Kor Ecologic ltd. are aiming to reduce the billion vehicles already present on our polluted roads – by, you guessed it, 3D printing cars.

As per Korecologic.com, by the time 2050 rolls around the world’s car population will rise to a staggering 2.5 billion. Clearly it would be advantageous for the children of tomorrow to purchase one type of car when they reach their coming of age – one that supports, rather than destroys the environment.

With 3D printing ushering in a new wave of efficiency and sustainability for those knowledgeable enough to harness its power – one should certainly consider a 3D printable car as a gift for the near future.

So, what 3D printed cars are currently available on the market?

The URBEE 2 – a space age looking vehicle with an internal and external structure entirely 3D printed – would be able to travel an extraordinary 4000 kilometers with only 10 gallons of bio-fuel!

The URBEE 2 in Action

Malta 3D Printing is very excited about this prospect! As an upgrade from its predecessor, the URBEE (a worldwide sensation in 2011), the small but stylish URBEE 2 promises to deliver reliability and affordability for a better tomorrow.

Moving on to the final inspirational product that we’ve chosen to feature on our blog today, we have a pair of 3D printed boats sure to turn heads across the seven seas.

One of thee promising creations is from a group of passionate American students from the University of Washington with their ‘milk jug’ style boat – and another from our friends from the East, a Chinese boat that dipped its toes in the water for the first time less than 2 weeks ago!

The 3D Printed ‘Milk Jug’ Boat In Pole Position

The group of students who designed and crafted the ‘milk jug’ boat entered it into the annual Seattle Milk Carton Derby, finishing the race in second place! After 8 long weeks of research and preparation, the student team used recycled and melted milk cartons to build their sea vessel – as opposed to the standard thermoplastics normally used.

The Chinese boat, created by the country’s largest 3D printer, is a two-metre long boat weighing in at 35 kilograms, and made of nylon. Similar to the American entry, the Chinese boat supports two adults.

Chinese Addition to 3D Printed Boats by Sanya Industrial Innovation Design

Malta 3D Printing believes that group of UW students really outdid themselves. Both companies used a minimalist approach, recycling different materials to achieve aesthetically pleasing and practical products.

Of course, these projects are not for any regular amateur – requiring plenty of materials and knowledge in the world of 3D printing and their respective areas (architecture, aerodynamics, buoyancy, to name a few).

We hope to see more groundbreaking additions to the 3D printed world soon!