3D printing has surely taken the market by storm and we are witnessing more and more practical uses of 3D printing popping up every now and then. So far we have seen a plethora of items ranging from buildings to human bones, however, today we will show you another feat pulled off via 3D printing; a 3D printed car known as Strati.
Strati is made up of only 40 parts as opposed to conventional vehicles that are built by using more than 20,000 components. The idea was conceived by Local Motors based in Arizona. The printing followed by assembly took a total of 44 hours to complete and was carried out at the 6-Day International Manufacturing Technology Show 2014 in Chicago.
It has been made of one solid piece and shall have a top speed of 40 Mph while being able to deliver a range of 120-150 miles. The chassis and body of Strati were printed using a huge 3D printer, however, tires, seats, battery, wiring, suspension, wheels, window shield and electric motor were created using the traditional approaches.
The car is battery powered and can carry two passengers. It has been created from black plastic layers that have been reinforced with carbon fiber. Local Motors John Rogers said; ‘We are the first company to make a 3D-printed car using carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic. The seats, body, chassis, dash, center console and hood will all be 3D printed.’
Local Motors plans on offering 3D printed cars for a price range of $18,000-30,000 based on the features that the customers wish to have.
Check out the youtube video below for more:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daioWlkH7ZI