A full-size 3D-printed car that is a tribute to David Bowie, will be a star attraction at this year’s Festival Automobile International (FAI) in Paris from 31 January.
Massivit 3D Printing Technologies, a provider of large format 3D printing solutions, in partnership with large format 3D printing specialist Marie 3D and car designer Takumi Yamamoto, will unveil the world’s first 3D printed, full-scale concept car.
FAI president Rémi Depoix says: “It is the first time in our 34-year history that we are exhibiting a full-scale car that has been entirely produced with 3D printing. Yamamoto’s concept car demonstrates immense creativity. We were keen to support this project and present the car almost as a piece of art, very much like a sculpture. I am very impressed with this new technology. It opens up new opportunities in terms of creativity and design for the automotive industry.”
Yamamoto, designer of the GT by Citroen and a former leading designer at the PSA Peugeot Advanced Design Studio, is the creative force behind the concept car.
Paris-based Marie 3D identified that 3D printing was the only feasible production method for implementing the concept car due to its capability to produce complex and creative geometry forms. Traditional manufacturing methods, including CNC routing, would have proven limited in terms of realising Yamamoto’s vision.
In addition, 3D printing turned out to be more cost-effective, having a faster production speed and less waste production.
The car has been 3D printed on Marie 3D’s Massivit 1800 large format 3D printer.
The company has an established standing in the automobile industry and this innovative project, leveraging MD Philippe Marie’s expertise in prototyping as well as his adoption of a Massivit 3D printer, has paved the way for an entirely new approach to producing concept prototypes.
Marie comments: “This was an exciting challenge combining a work of art with a prototype. We especially enjoyed the fact that this is the first project that has allowed us complete creative control, independent of serving a car manufacturer. We have made the most of this total creative freedom.
“We embarked on the project to demonstrate the capabilities of our Massivit 3D printer in terms of size, speed and reliability. This technology provides a faster and significantly more cost-effective alternative to the conventional processes, supports design creativity, geometric freedom and smoother production.”
He adds: “This concept car exposes a completely new method and capabilities for prototyping through 3D printing. Our goal now is to expose the possibilities to the automotive world.”
Amir Veresh, vie-president: business development and marketing at Massivit 3D, adds: “This project highlights how Massivit 3D’s large format 3D printing technology facilitates fresh opportunities for scale 1:1 concept prototyping and is sure to fuel the imagination of tomorrow’s car designers and manufacturers. We are absolutely thrilled to partner in this inspirational project.”