3D printing is definitely one of the hottest topics in recent years, and even some people call it the "third industrial revolution." Indeed, 3D printing technology has led change in many areas, and in the automotive industry, 3D-printed cars that can travel on the road have also been available. Does this mean that 3D printing will change the pattern of the automotive industry?

 

3D printed raw materials


The principle of 3D printing

Before discussing 3D printing cars, let's look at how 3D printers work. 3D printing, which is a kind of rapid prototyping technology, is a technology that builds an object by layer-by-layer printing using a powdery metal or plastic adhesive material based on a digital model file. Compared with ordinary printers, the “ink” of 3D printers is a raw material, and a three-dimensional effect is achieved through the stacking of several layers of materials. Many people compare this process to building blocks, and they are indeed somewhat similar.

The process of 3D printing is very similar to a normal printer. First of all, you need to have a model file, just a document or picture needed by a common printer. The file read by a 3D printer is a 3D model file. There are already many sharing websites for 3D model files (eg: http://). Finally, the printer needs a printing process. The ordinary printer also needs the process of printing pictures or text on paper. Because 3D printing is complicated because of the printing process, it takes a lot of time, of course, depending on the size of your print model.

Just like ordinary printers need consumables (laser printers need toner cartridges, inkjet printers are ink cartridges), 3D printers are also needed. With the development of 3D printing technology, there are many types of consumables currently used for 3D printing to meet different needs. Of course, the prices of different materials are quite different, and the printed results are also different. What 3D printers do is a process of melting consumables and creating new shapes.

Urbee 2 print unit


The first 3D printing car - Urbee2

The principle of 3D printing seems simple, but the effect it can achieve is truly amazing. Let us have a simple way to produce objects of any shape. What about its development in the automotive sector? Is it possible later that we can DIY our own car like a computer? Don't worry, let's take a look at the history of 3D cars.

The development history is somewhat exaggerated because the birth of the world’s first 3D-printed car was not far away from us. In the first half of 2013, a small car called Urbee2 was born. In fact, its predecessor, Urbee, was launched as early as 2010, but it was only at the conceptual stage because of various problems. Urbee2 is a true mass production model.

The Urbee2 is a hybrid-powered tricycle powered by a unicycle behind the body. When driving in the city, the Urbee2 is powered by electricity and has 7.6 kWh of built-in electricity. The two front wheels are powered by a pair of 36-volt electric motors, providing 6 kW of cruise power and a maximum power of 12 kW. Electric drive mileage up to 64 kilometers. When the power is insufficient, the internal combustion engine is switched to drive the generator to power the battery.

Urbee2 contains more than 50 3D printing components, but this is a bit more streamlined than traditional manufacturing processes. In addition to chassis, powertrain and electronic equipment, more than 50% of the vehicles are printed from ABS plastic. It is reported that the production of Urbee2 takes 2500 hours, conversion is no day and night also need more than 100 days to print such a car.

For chassis manufacturing without 3D printing, the design team stated that it was for safety reasons. In addition, in order to achieve higher safety standards, the steel frame welding is also used in the frame section. Urbee2 can only be registered according to motorcycle standards in some countries due to its small body weight and size, plus a three-wheeled layout.

3D Printed Car Upgrade - Strati

Strati is a 3D printing car launched by LocalMotors, claiming Strati is the world's first. Because in Local Motors' view, the chassis component of Urbee2 is not completed by a 3D printer, Strat has not only a higher application rate of 3D printing, but also has received a media test drive, so it can also be called "the first 3D printed car."

Strati was born in 2014 and it does have a significant improvement over Urbee2. First of all, its chassis part is also manufactured using 3D printing technology, and its second printing time is only 44 hours. If you add assembly time, the latest data shows that it takes only three days to build Strati. From 100 days to 3 days, the rapid increase in efficiency indicates that the future development of 3D printing cars cannot be predicted.

On the exterior, Strati is more in line with people's aesthetic than the somewhat weird styling of Urbee2. The wide body and low chassis height even make it have the temperament of some sports cars.

Strati's top speed is up to 56 kilometers per hour. The power section is battery-powered and ranges from 193 to 243 kilometers. Although Local Motors, which produces Strati, has some "oblivion" of the application rate of Urbee23D printing, in fact, apart from the application of Strati in the chassis part, the powertrain, suspension, and steering components come from Renault's Twizy. In addition, seats, lights, rims and tires are also manufactured in a traditional way. Strat's raw materials are thermoplastic materials that incorporate carbon fibers because of the need to take safety into consideration.

Although many parts of Strati are still manufactured in the traditional way, 3D printing cars still have a very big advantage. Compared to the traditional automobile manufacturing industry, parts are spliced ​​to produce automobiles, and 3D printed automobiles are first built into a framework, and then the required components are filled in. The application of fewer parts of the 3D printing car can not only significantly reduce the weight of the car body, but also eliminate stamping. For small-scale production, this eliminates the cost of manufacturing molds, is more efficient, and does not require a huge plant, which directly reduces the threshold for automobile production.

The company that currently produces Strati is planning a plan to launch the car, and the announced pre-sale price will be 11,000 pounds (about 110,000 yuan). If you think of it as the first 3D printed car product, the price is not high. However, if compared with traditional cars, its price is not dominant. In addition, due to the accuracy of 3D printing, users also have to endure rough workmanship. If you want to get a smooth surface, you will further increase the cost and increase the printing time.

Where does 3D printing begin to affect the automotive industry?

Although 3D printing cars have gradually emerged, there are still many problems to be solved. First of all, compared with the traditional auto manufacturing industry, the production cycle and production capacity are still relatively low, and it is difficult to mass-produce large-scale production. In addition, due to the need to take into account factors such as safety, raw material quality and cost factors are difficult to balance, resulting in high cost of bicycle production also restricts the commercialization of 3D cars at this stage.

However, at this stage, 3D printing has also been well applied in the automotive field. In addition to the vehicle 3D printing technology, there are two fields that have begun the application phase:

In the design field, automotive manufacturers can apply to the development of automotive exterior designs due to the rapid prototyping of 3D printing. Compared with the traditional hand-made clay model, 3D printing can more accurately convert 3D design drawings into physical objects, and the time is shorter, improving the production efficiency at the automotive design level. At present, many manufacturers have begun to use 3D printing technology in the design, such as the Mercedes-Benz Design Center that we visited earlier.

In the area of ​​parts and components, 3D printing technology can also quickly produce complex-shaped products, and automotive parts and components are exactly. In the traditional automobile manufacturing field, the development of auto parts often requires a long time of research and development and testing. From the R&D to the testing stage, it is also necessary to make parts molds, which are not only long but also costly. Correcting parts also requires the same lengthy period when there is a problem. The 3D printing technology can quickly create complicated parts. When there is a problem with the test, modify the 3D file and print again to test again. It can be said that 3D printing technology will make the development cost of future parts even lower and more efficient.

It is difficult for 3D printing vehicles to change our lives in the near future, but 3D printing will benefit consumers in these two areas in a short period of time. The cost reduction and efficiency improvement in the research and development stage will bring higher quality automotive products to consumers, and at the same time the price will be more affordable.

Future development path in the automotive field

In terms of automotive parts, 3D printing has already had a clear development path. Once again, there is not much discussion. We mainly talk about the development of 3D printing vehicles.

Customization. I believe for a long time, the future of 3D printing cars is just like the concept we mentioned earlier. The “chassis” is the overall appearance and can provide different styles for consumers to show their individuality; as for “mainboard” and “memory” "These internal components provide different styles of 3D printing products for optional components; core components such as powertrains can be purchased from traditional manufacturers. Although it is very difficult for 3D printing to make major breakthroughs in terms of cost within a short period of time, it is believed that the concept of “customized” products can still attract many consumers’ payouts. Another new mode of production may make the commercialization of 3D printing vehicles not far away. .

Of course, realizing customized production and commercializing it, 3D printing cars still have a lot to go. First of all, we must design the compatibility of different parts, and consumers can quickly complete the assembly when selecting the optional parts; in addition, the safety we mentioned before, not only collision safety, but also take into account the appearance of the individual may be harm to pedestrians, etc. Etc.; the last thing to consider is the legal factor, and the complicated style poses a serious challenge to the legal development.

The ultimate solution for the future is 100% 3D printing. When the car can achieve 3D printing 100%, it is the ultimate stage of the 3D printing car. Of course, it is unlikely that 3D printing technology will be used for such components as engines and electronic equipment within a short period of time. Aside from cost factors, the working temperature and strength of materials that can withstand the need to be tested. However, with the development of science and technology, the printing of the core components may not be impossible. In the future, 3D printing may indeed become a private car maker. By that time, completing a car of your own may be as simple as assembling a car model.

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