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3-D Printed Car Nears Production
An anonymous reader writes "An article at Wired shows just how close we are to a 3-D printed car. Jim Kor's 'Urbee 2' design is a lightweight teardrop shape with three wheels. The engine, chassis, and wheels aren't printed, of course, but much of the car is formed layer-by-layer out of ABS plastic. It takes about 2,500 hours of printer time to create the whole thing. Assembly is easier, though, since many different parts can be consolidated into just a few. 'To negotiate the inevitable obstacles presented by a potentially incredulous NHSTA and DOT, the answer is easy. "In many states and many countries, Urbee will be technically registered as a motorcycle," Kor says. It makes sense. With three wheels and a curb weight of less than 1,200 pounds, it's more motorcycle than passenger car. No matter what, the bumpers will be just as strong as their sheet-metal equivalents. "We're planning on making a matrix that will be stronger than FDM," says Kor. He admits that yes, "There is a danger in breaking one piece and have to recreate the whole thing." The safety decisions that'll determine the car's construction lie ahead. Kor and his team have been tweaking the safety by using crash simulation software, but the full spectrum of testing will have to wait for an influx of investment cash.'"
Get off the computer grandpa. It's time for your medication.
The (non-existent yet) engine is supposed to be a 10 HP Diesel, but "the head engineer is planning to take the latest prototype from San Francisco to New York on 10 gallons of gas, preferably pure ethanol" (FTFA). Diesel-cycle engines work better on esters rather than alcohols. Even assuming that you could keep a diesel-cycle engine happy with ethanol (which is an open question), the modifications required to make it work will basically make it useless for the standard diesel you find at truck stops. Had the engineer said that he planned to go SFO->NYC on 10 gallons of fuel, preferably biodiesel (which has more in common with cooking oil than liquor), I'd have more confidence that the engineer knew a hawk from a handsaw.
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you
From the title of TFA: Stronger than Steel.
I doubt it.
All the car manufacturers will take the technology they like and can use (printed bumpers for example) and leave the home grown printers to it, while laughing.
- http://www.milkme.co.uk
Would you download a car?
That's 104 days. I don't see the economics working out.
Yes, yes I would.
"The engine, chassis, and wheels aren't printed, of course"
So, the bits that make it go. The bits that distinguish it as a car instead of being a small room with some uncomfortable chairs.
Anybody can stick a fucking wooden box on a car base and call it a car.
Is there some obvious reason I am unaware of that you cannot 3D print with magnesium? I know the auto industry at large is trying to work magnesium into its vehicles for its great strength to weight, but is having trouble working with the material because it tends to have flex memory and the bends made to the material do not stay in place well enough for wide spread use. However, it seems to me that this same property makes it ideal for a 3D printed unibody frame on a sports car - light weight, strong, and returns to its preferred form after stress. All of these qualities would make an ideal frame, but I am assuming there must be some catch since I have not heard of anyone working on this. Perhaps it is just the cost of development or the material itself - if its too expensive, why wouldn't you just use carbon fiber after all?
Why is the one wheel at the front? What's going to happen when this thing goes around a turn? All I can see is a very expensive reliant robin.
Most people don't choose cars based on the bits that make them go, because the bits that make them go can't been seen. Unless a buyer happens to be technically minded, they won't even have read the specs before buying.
Instead, cars are chosen based on their looks. In other words, the parts that can be 3D printed.
And when those parts can be changed from year to year by printing out new ones, or to repair damage, then the concept of printable bodywork using designs obtained from the Internet becomes quite appealing.
A 3D printer is certainly good for prototyping. For actually production? Not so much.
Covering the front wheels like that is a bad move, SAAB taught the world that long ago. They had to flare out the wheel arches to deal with it when they built the Ursaab prototype.
Snow will build up between the wheels and the body, the driver will not notice this until he tries to turn and the car continues in a straight line.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursaab
FDM is slow compared to new SLA, micro-nozzle and inkjet deposition processes. I'm not sure what FDM printer tech from the 80's they are currently using, but by using newer additive manufacturing techniques and new materials they can cut their 2500 hour print time down to well under 250. Inkjet and SLA is capable of print rates in the Liters per Hour and easily down to the 10's of microns of resolution. You just won't find these types of printers sold by the old 3D printer co's sitting on their old 80's tech that they are still trying to squeeze every last day out of their old patents.
Quidquid latine dictum sit altum viditur
w/ the CNC milling machine I've just gotten together ( http://www.shapeoko.com/ ) and added a drive shaft upgrade to --- still need to finish documenting that on the wiki.
The Twike ( http://www.twike.com/ ) is essentially an enclosed electric three-wheeled cycle, I think I'll be able to bring it in a bit under the ~$20,000 it'd cost to import one.
Adding 3D printing functionality to the ShapeOko would certainly make the manufacture a bit more flexible.
William
Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.
From TFA:
"The design puts a tubular metal cage around the driver, “like a NASCAR roll cage,” Kor claims."
So all the load bearing parts are metal. What we really have is a tube-frame car with a plastic body. Great job suckering Wired into providing free advertising.
Place nail here >+
I instantly have an image in my head of model cars I put together as a kid. All my car parts would arrive connected in a plastic lattice and I would have to pop the steering wheel out to put it in my car.
Most people don't choose cars based on the bits that make them go
Really? I've never bought a car that didn't have the "bits that make them go."
salesman: "Take a look at this one! It's beautiful, isn't it? Comfortable inside, too. Just exactly what you need! No engine or wheels, of course, but that's not important to most consumers."
customer: "I want it! I don't use those 'wheel' thingies anyway."
These guys aren't "printing a car". They're printing a shell. Without windshield or windows, either, electronics, or even the seats.
http://www.geoffreylandis.com
will soon be reclassified as the dumb schmuck who ran out of ink.
It's easy to build a car if it doesn't have to meet the same performance or safety standards.
The bumpers will be as strong as their sheet metal equivalents?
What about all the understructure?
What about the other crash ratings? Do you think it will provide top level ratings to all the IIHS tests?
As far as 3D printing ABS, it would likely be cheaper to simply vacuum form ABS sheets then simply glue the appropriate mating fasteners on. Once you get past a reasonable volume it will be substanitally cheaper.
What is an hour of 3D printer time worth? over 2500 hours, thats over 3 months.
That's 104 days. I don't see the economics working out.
What is the time and cost to transport the final vehicle to Mars?
what's the point? The man from Mars stopped eatin' cars. Now he only eats guitars.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
From TFA:
"No matter what, the bumpers will be just as strong as their sheet-metal equivalents"
When was the last time you saw a steel bumper on a car?
I just hope that it's stable. Just look at what Mr. Bean does to the 3 wheeled car all the time. http://youtu.be/Gb54PRcekIY
Paul: Father... father, the sleeper has awakened! - Dune
I have to wonder if there are burn rate / toxicity requirements for passenger cars, such as for aircraft. That could put a fiery wrench into the works.
2500 hours is a long time to build a coffin
The design for this car appears to be inspired by R. Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion car. It features a similar aerodynamic "teardrop" shape and the same three-wheel design, although his was much bigger (and more fuel-efficient than most of today's cars). I'm surprised this wasn't mentioned anywhere in the article. There is a great video of the car doing laps around a traffic guard. Bucky was in the Navy and was fond of sailing, and he said that having the single wheel in the back made it feel more like you were turning a rudder on a ship than steering a car.