THE latest technology inventions in 3D printing are rapidly changing how things are being made.
It’s an emerging technology that is an alternative to the traditional tooling and machining processes used in manufacturing.
At the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago, a little known Arizona-based car maker created a media sensation by manufacturing a car at the show. It was a full scale, fully functional car that was 3D printed in 44 hours and assembled in two days.
The car is called a “Strati”, Italian for layers, so named by its automotive designer Michele Anoè because the entire structure of the car is made from layers of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (A.B.S.) with reinforced carbon fibre into a single unit.
The average car has more than 20,000 parts but this latest technology reduces the number of parts to 40 including all the mechanical components.
This technology can use a variety of metal, plastic or composite materials to manufacture anything in intricate detail.
