World First 3D Printed Supercar is Printed. 0-60, 2.2 secs.

[Auroria]

At the Los Angeles Auto Show, automaker Divergent 3D showed off their 3D-printed Blade Supercar. The 635 kilogram (1,400 pound) car is made of a combination of aluminum and carbon fiber; accelerates to 97 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour) in 2.2 seconds with its 700 hp engine; and can use either gasoline or compressed natural gas as fuel.


The Blade Supercar debuted last year in June, heralding the company’s radical, environmentally-sustainable approach to manufacturing. Divergent calls the manufacturing approach NODE, where they 3D print aluminum nodes joined together by carbon fiber tubing.

The process, which is similar to using Lego blocks, requires less capital and uses up fewer materials. The ease of assembly means that even semi-skilled workers can run the process.

As an added bonus, Divergent 3D’s cars are 90 percent lighter and more durable than cars built with traditional techniques.

This Is the World's First 3D-Printed "Supercar"

[Auroria]

"producing a medium-sized car like a Ford Mondeo can generate more than 17,000 kilograms (17 tonnes) of greenhouse gases."

That's interesting.

17 tonnes for every medium sized car!

[Auroria]

3D printing really is the future.

I believe that over the coming decades they will become as accessible and popular as home computers are now. Everyone will have one at some level. When you want something, you download the file, and print it out. Job done.

Of course the application of this in the space industry with regards to long term space travel and colonization of the Moon, Mars, or another Space Station is really exciting.

[nidhogg]

When you want something, you download the file, and print it out. Job done.

Like an untraceable gun.......

Of course the application of this in the space industry with regards to long term space travel and colonization of the Moon, Mars, or another Space Station is really exciting.

Yup.

[Auroria]

When you want something, you download the file, and print it out. Job done.

Like an untraceable gun.......

Imaginatively called The Liberator.


The Liberator - pg.1

Prints out over night. Wake up to a coffee and new gun.

When they start to 3D print single-malts is when I really get interested.

[Cujo]

It's a bit misleading though isn't it. A car, especially are supercar, is composed of a myriad of components of many different materials. I doubt the seats for example are 3d printed, or the exhaust pipe or the windows or any number of the components.
Perhaps the body panels but there's a lot more to a supercar than that.

[VocalNeal]

^ I was wondering about the suspension arms/components and electric motors.

Let's not get all excited the Porsche 918 came and went and I didn't buy one of those.

Even carbon fibre hasn't caught on in a big way in mass produced cars as it cannot easily be mass produced so I doubt 3D printing as such will catch on except in small volume exotic cars. Koenigsegg et al? Carbon layup is a tradesman's job and easy to do without special machinery, excluding the autoclave.

I'm sure car companies already use 3D printing in their engineering and development depts. and probably for prototyping.

If it was really innovative it would be used for 3D printing washing machines/toilets and things we really need.

Still maybe the up and coming Silicon Valley guy needs something to aspire to when it comes to trading up from his Tesla after having traded up from his Prius?