IMTS to Showcase 3D-Printed Vehicle

It might be hard to trump the building of an entire car live on a trade show floor, but Local Motors aims to do just that at this year’s iteration of IMTS—the International Manufacturing Technology Show. This time, the company behind the Rally Fighter will employ the material science and advanced manufacturing techniques available at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The first direct-digital-manufactured electric vehicle will be purpose-built for the urban transportation needs of Chicago.

The project, conducted in partnership with AMT—The Association For Manufacturing Technology, takes open-source production a step beyond the Rally Fighter, one of which was built from the ground up in five days at IMTS 2012. Like that vehicle, the car produced at the 2014 show will follow a design that was developed collaboratively by Local Motors and thousands of other designers, fabricators, engineers and auto enthusiasts. This year, however, AMT and Local Motors aim to demonstrate how sustainable, green technologies and both additive and subtractive manufacturing techniques can improve strength, safety, speed and efficiency. The finished vehicle will be used as an example of how sustainable green technologies can reduce life-cycle energy and greenhouse gas emissions, lower production cost, and create new products and opportunities for high paying jobs.

Notably, the car wont’ be Local Motors’ only presence at IMTS 2014, which is scheduled for September 8-13 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. Attendees will also get a first-hand look at the Smartforce Rally Fighter, showcased to promote the Smartforce Student Summit at IMTS. The summit aims to provide students, parents and educators with an interactive view of high-tech manufacturing industry as well as the opportunity to hear from some of the nation’s top STEM experts and other engaging keynote speakers.