3D printing has become one of the most promising fields of technology over the last few years. The overall cost of its applications has significantly reduced, making it more accessible to the general public, which in turn has led to people using it for doing as sorts of exciting things. This article is going to talk about the latest DIY to make the news.
If you are unfamiliar with 3D Printing, you can check our guide.
How did a physicist end up building a car?
The physicist in question here is Sterling Backus, who, on one odd day was playing Forza Horizon 3 with his son and was then inspired to build this vehicle when his son asked if they could, according to this article by David Sher for the 3D Printing Media Network.
On Backus’ Facebook page for this product, he mentions in its about section that he is doing this mainly to show kids how amazing and science and engineering are while in sync with technology.
“My son and I are attempting to build a Lamborghini Aventador with 3D printing. The goal will be to show kids how cool science and engineering are and demonstrate the power of technology. The frame, suspension, and drivetrain will be steel of course,” the About section of his Facebook page reads.
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How is the car being built?
Now, Backus makes it clear to the public that the entire car is not 3D printed, a significant portion of the parts that go into this assembly are, but its frame and certain important parts are genuine ones which he has bought off of eBay for this project.
Every part of the exterior and interior, from body panels to the lights on the vehicle and the air vents and buttons have all been designed in SolidWorks, and then 3D printed.
Backus defines himself as a gearhead and keeps mentioning how the entire project is a learning experience and wants to inspire a generation of kids to get into the world of engineering and science.
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Is the 3D printed Lamborghini viable?
Now the frame of the car as we mentioned earlier was not 3D-printed but was a steel frame which they got to increase strength and hold all the parts together.
The father and son duo mentioned that they had decided to use advanced technology to build their car and also researched on different automotive construction techniques to make sure the vehicle functioned properly and was safe.
A vehicle as we know has to stand various levels of heat and different stresses under day to day conditions. To mitigate the issues due to these factors, Backus mentioned that he turned to Youtube to learn about carbon fibre skinning, and vacuum moulding, which led to him learning about carbon fibre encapsulating of 3D printed parts that would allow their unique parts to withstand most weather conditions.
Backus told 3D Printing Media Network, “My own training as a physicist, love for cars, engineering, and passion were definitely helpful as well”. Knowing that the duo is paying attention to the smallest of details, we can say their vehicle is definitely more than just a pipe dream and does seem viable for being a one-off project.
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