The idea that a 3D printer could reproduce an entire car or the parts to make one is nothing new. In fact, the only brake so far is the capability of 3D printers themselves, which must gain more speed, precision, and material variety. Even so, there are projects that manage to push this technology to the limit, such as the Blade supercar. With a combination of aluminum nodes and carbon fiber tubes, the weight of its chassis stays below 50 kilograms.
An old anti-piracy ad said, “you wouldn't steal a car.” The magic of the Web turned that into “you wouldn't download a car” through memes… but we must admit that the concept of downloaded cars is getting closer. After all, if 3D printers reach that ideal balance of availability, size, and price, it wouldn't be far-fetched for someone to decide to print the parts they need. The most media-covered example so far has been the Strati. Its main components come from the general market, but the chassis was created with a 3D printer… and the vehicle works. What we have here today is slightly different. First, it's not a continuous print, so to speak, but rather several modules made of aluminum, connected with carbon fiber tubes. And second… it's a supercar.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/SU7LhQsLthAThis is the Blade, a prototype designed by the folks at Divergent Microfactories. It's not the first time a company promotes high-performance supercars (0 to 100 in 2.5 seconds, 700 horsepower), or throws out the promise of very low cost, but what catches the most attention about the Blade is the fabrication method applied to its chassis. The automotive industry has almost unanimously leaned towards monocoque designs, which currently offer the best balance between strength and final weight, but the Blade uses the aforementioned 3D-printed aluminum nodes (I assume by sintering) and carbon fiber tubes. This combination brings the total weight of the Blade to just 629 kilograms, of which 46 belong to the chassis itself.
All the doubts raised about the Blade so far are reasonable. Is it legal to drive one? What about crash tests? Could this actually help reduce prices? It's very hard to know at this point. As far as we've found out, Divergent Microfactories has only a single working prototype. But even if the Blade never takes off, the technique used in building its chassis could surely be transferred to other structures that would greatly benefit from the intervention of 3D printing.
