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Rinspeed Stratasys
Left to right: The MetroSnap 'skateboard' chassis and a 'pod' vehicle body.
Swiss automobile manufacturer Rinspeed has revealed its modular MetroSnap concept electric vehicle features more than 30 3D printed interior and exterior parts.
The company is set to premier the MetroSnap at this week’s CES event in Las Vegas, having harnessed Stratasys’ fused deposition modelling (FDM) and PolyJet technologies to help design and manufacture the vehicle. Printed components include interior consoles, display frames, plug sockets fixtures, air vents, lidar screens and license plates.
MetroSnap boasts an aviation-inspired swapping system which sees a ‘pod’ vehicle body placed onto its ‘skateboard’ chassis to provide a local public service, such as taxi pick up points, parcel collections or a mini supermarket. The chassis and vehicle body operate on split batteries, meaning the vehicle does not need to be parked for charging and the desired service can continue to be provided.
Dingo Photos
Rinspeed Stratasys
Sensor cover printed in white with Stratasys PolyJet technology.
While developing the MetroSnap, Rinspeed harnessed Stratasys’ FDM technology and materials like Nylon 12CF and ASA to produce parts fit for a real-life automotive environment. Nylon 12CF was utilised to manufacture the middle console of the pod, which needed to be durable and lightweight, while ASA was used to print sensor covers on the exterior of the vehicle because of its UV-resistance and ability to withstand extreme weather conditions. Additionally, the new J850 full colour PolyJet platform was implemented to print grey covers for charging plugs and white dashboard air vents.
“Using Stratasys 3D printing, we were able to design and manufacture customised parts of the MetroSnap in very little time, enabling us to accelerate the design of the vehicle and overcome the limitations of traditional manufacturing during production,” commented Frank M Rinderknecht, founder of Rinspeed. “For a project such as this, where every element was newly designed and tested, and the launch timeframe is short, having an alternative to traditional manufacturing that can offer you flexibility in design and production is essential. It’s fair to say that without access to Stratasys’ technology, the customised manufacture of this vehicle would simply not have been possible.”
“It is great to see how 3D printing can really offer value in this type of production project, significantly cutting lead times and delivering high quality customised parts,” added Dominik Mueller, Strategic Account Manager at Stratasys. “Rapid development in hardware and materials across both of our core technologies have been exemplified during this project, offering the manufacturers the ability to transform the design and development process of vehicles and opening the door to even further customisation in production.”
