3-D printing continues to find new purposes, as German electric car maker StreetScooter has used the technology to print a prototype for its C16 electric car.
A Stratasys Objet1000 3-D printer was used to create the exterior parts of the vehicle within 12 months, including the front and pack panels, door panels, side skirts, bumper systems, wheel arches and lamp masks, according to Gizmag. Some small interior components were also produced with the technology.
With the Objet1000, reportedly the biggest multi-material 3-D printer in the world, StreetScooter was up to print ABS parts up to one meter (3.3 feet) long.
Shelly Linor, director of global education at Stratasys, said using the printer gives the company the chance to show "the continued strong connection between education and industry," Designboom reported.
"Allowing students to work with a 3D printer with a build tray of that size helps prepare them for careers that include cutting-edge design on a large scale that are not only visually impressive, but also allow for functional innovation," Linor added.
Achim Kampker, a professor of production management in Aachen University's facility of mechanical engineering, said the team can use the printer to customize the C16 for specific customers, which lets them come up with designs "on-the-fly."
"These cars can be developed from scratch and ready in a matter of months, not years, as with traditional automotive production processes," Kampker added. "The StreetScooter project has demonstrated to us how a whole new approach to car design and manufacturing is possible with 3D printing."
The final version is expected to weigh close to 450 kilograms (992 pounds) without the battery. It will come with a minimum range of 80 miles and a top speed of 60 miles per hour.
StreetScooter, a spinoff company of Aachen University, tested its electric car in "strenuous testing environments" and found that it performed as well as cars made the old fashion way, Gizmag reported.
The C16 prototype will make an appearance at the EuroMold show, which will be held in Frankfurt from Nov. 25 to 28.
