Monday, January 12, 2015

US 3-D car printing factory and showroom

Ever wish you could design your own car and make it with a 3-D printer? 
The developers at National Harbor say they will offer you that chance.
Builders of the 350-acre waterfront complex announced Monday they will open a laboratory, micro-factory, showroom and sales room for Local Motors, a Phoenix company that produced the world’s first functional 3-D printed car.
Founded in 2007, Local Motors is trying to revolutionize the auto industry by crowdsourcing designs and then building and selling the cars locally.
The company invites the public to propose designs for cars, trucks, motorcycles and other vehicles, then provides the facilities needed to build them locally out of carbon-infused plastic via 3-D printers.
Earlier Monday at the Detroit Auto Show, the company debuted a miniaturized version of its Strati roadster, the world’s first functional 3-D printed car. The company’s model of designing by different people and building through the 3-D printer has already produced a race car (“The Rally Fighter”) and a motorcycle (“The Racer”).
The vehicles generally are built using pre-packaged engines from established auto makers like General Motors, which reduces the need for new regulatory approvals. The engines are dropped into the newly designed plastic bodies.
“Local Motors is changing the way you experience motor vehicles,” Jay Rogers, Local Motors chief executive and co-founder said in a statement. “From design to build to purchase to service, our micro-factories are a central hub for engaging both online and physical communities, advancing technology, and creating a first-of-its-kind experiential retail concept.” 
Local Motors already has locations in Phoenix and Las Vegas. The company said in a statement that National Harbor would be the first place in the world to print, refine and assemble a fleet of cars built by 3-D printer. Cars would be available as soon as later this year. 
At National Harbor, Local Motors will join a changing mix of attractions that beginning next year will be headlined by a $925 million MGM resort and casino.


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