A printer begins spraying molten polymer in microscopic layers in a warehouse in California's Silicon Valley. About 2,500 hours later, the print job is completed.
The result: a whole car.
Yes, that's right. And if engineer Jim Kor gets what he wants, the next generation of urban cars will be lightweight, ultra-efficient and produced by 3-D printers.
The car is called Urbee 2. It's the second generation of Kor's printed car, and if all goes according to plan, printed cars will be the next generation of urban vehicles, Wired.com reported.
Using a 3-D printing process gives engineers the kind of precise control that would be impossible with sheet metal. The printer can be programmed to add thickness and rigidity to specific sections, the article said.
A 3-D printed fender, for example, would be as resilient as a traditional molded plastic one, but much lighter. In combination, so many lightweight pieces translate to an overall ultra-lightweight car, which means to greater fuel efficiency. The Urbee 2 weights only 1,200 pounds, Wired.com reported.
The 3-D printing process streamlines the manufacturing as well, printing in one piece what would typically be several individual pieces in a traditional car, the article reported.
"The thesis we're following is to take small parts from a big car and make them single large pieces," Kor said to Wired. "By using one piece instead of many, the car loses weight and gets reduced rolling resistance, and with fewer spaces between parts, the Urbee ends up being exceptionally aerodynamic."
Not all of the Urbee is printed plastic. The car's hybrid engine and chassis will of course be metal. A 36-volt electric motor will do most of the driving; for highway speeds a diesel engine will take over.
Kors intends for the car to pass rigorous safety inspections as well.
"Our goal with the final production Urbee," Kor said, "is to exceed most, if not all, current automotive safety standards."
Of course, the day where anyone can purchase an Urbee has yet to come. Kors needs to secure funding to produce the cars on any consumer level. But as Wired reported, in the future he plans on driving an Urbee from San Francisco to New York to generate more interest in the car.
Oh, he'll also make that drive using 10 gallons of gas.
"We're hoping to make it in Google [Maps'] time, and we want to have the Guinness book of world records involved," Kors said.
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