Autodesk and Local Motors collaborate on first industrial application of Spark, the open 3D printing platform to solve challenges in large format 3D printing
In a post last week we reported how Local Motors is taking the final steps towards completing its first full scale 3D printed car – the Strati.
Well, this US vehicle manufacturer has now announced that it will be using Autodesk’s Spark 3D printing platform in the Strati’s continuing development.
Earlier this year, Autodesk revealed that it would be launching its open 3D printing software platform called Spark alongside its own 3D printer.
In a blog post by Al Dean in May 2014, Carl Bass, Autodesk’s CEO, revealed that Spark is “an open software platform for 3D printing which will make it more reliable yet simpler to print 3D models, and easier to control how that model is actually printed.”
In this Bloomberg interview, Carl Bass introduces the Spark platform and 3D printer.
Spark will be used by Local Motor’s design team to help connect automobile digital design information to its 3D printer – a BAAM (Big Area Additive Manufacturing) machine – in a streamlined way.
The Strati build is taking place at the Department of Energy’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
“The Spark platform is set to accelerate manufacturing innovation,” says Alex Fiechter, head of community management for Local Motors.
“From capturing our ideas more accurately to guiding Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM) and simplifying the creation of machine code, Spark will help us to turn digital models into an actual physical production parts far faster than was previously possible,” adds Fiechter.
Keep up to date with Strati’s progress via the Local Motors blog here.
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