Local Motors, an Arizona-based company that employs 3-D printing to perform rapid prototyping of automotive parts, recently demonstrated the technology at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
According to a recent article from SAE International, the company unveiled a 3-D printed vehicle and drove it into its display area at the show. The car's unveiling served to highlight Local Motors’ rapid prototyping production system called “BAAM.”
BAAM, which stands for Big Area Additive Manufacturing, refers to the company’s process of printing various parts of the vehicle. While an entire vehicle cannot be printed, a complete body and chassis can be created using the cutting-edge production system. “Print time” for a vehicle takes approximately 44 hours.
The Local Motors vehicle is made up of Renault electric vehicle components, and it is best identified as an electric vehicle with a top speed of 25 mph.
Parts and components of the vehicle not mechanically or electrically involved are fused into a single piece, while the car’s seats and cushioning are made in a Local Motors facility.
Source: http://articles.sae.org/13841/
