If you spot this vehicle on the road or at an auto show, it might attract your attention for all the wrong reasons, being of an unusual shape and being electric. It would definitely attract your attention if you had seen it from inception in a 3D printer. Meet the Strati (Italian for layers), the world's first 3D printed car.
This is the result of a four and half month process, from design to printing. Timescales could be reduced to six weeks and 3D printing is just 24hrs. Thats a quick turnaround for a car. Imagine paying for a car to have it manufectured to spec in 24hrs? That's amazing!
The key to this is simplification. An average car contains thoudsands of parts compared to the Strati's 49 because it is made from one material. With exception of the engine tyres and suspension, the majority of the car, from the chassis to the seats was created using a carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic which is claimed to have the same strength as midgrade aluminium. The manufacturing process is being refined so that parts of varied flexibilities could be produced (softer seats, compression bars for increased saftey).
The makers would in the future like to see localised factories producing cars suited for their environment. For example, a small factory in Alaska could produce vehicles suited for the cold while the other in Neveda would produce for hotter climes. The other advantage would also be from the business angle where vehicle parts dealers do not need the space to store vehicle parts. All they would need id a 3D printer to print replacement sparts for customer collection in 24 hours max.
As 3D printer technology improves, the large scale assembly plant model of vehicle manufacture with their large numbers of shift workers might just become a thing of tthe past. All you might just need is a small piece of land or less to start a factory.
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