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Hardware

Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

By Conner Forrest September 11, 2015, 6:17 AM PDT

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Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

ORNL's 3D printer

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

ORNL's 3D printer

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory is one of the most important science and technology labs in the US. Here’s a look at its 3D printed cars.

This massive 3D printer resides at The Oak Ridge National Laboratory and was used to print the body for the car.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

Another look at the 3D printing surface

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Another look at the 3D printing surface

Notice the tracks along the sides of the printer that move the print head along the surface.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

The print chamber

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

The print chamber

The 3D printer at ORNL operates in a closed space.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

Taking it for a spin

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Taking it for a spin

Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman rides in an early prototype of ORNL’s 3D printed car while touring the facility.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

An early 3D printer car

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

An early 3D printer car

A 3D printed car on display at ORNL’s campus.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

Mounting components

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Mounting components

The ORNL works on attaching drivetrain components to the car’s chassis.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

The suspension

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

The suspension

An ORNL team member adjusts the suspension for the new 3D printer car.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

The body

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

The body

This 3D printed car body is a replica of an original Shelby Cobra.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

The start of paint work

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

The start of paint work

The body is primed to prepare it for paint.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

The final paint job

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

The final paint job

The classic blue and white pays homage to to original Cobra, with the lab’s signature oak leaf on the hood.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

Wiring the vehicle

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Wiring the vehicle

An ORNL team member works on wiring the electrical components of the car.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

An initial mock up

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

An initial mock up

This is what the car looked like when it was originally put together.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

Final assembly

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Final assembly

The car is displayed with new headlights and ORNL signage in the grill.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

The dashboard

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

The dashboard

A touch panel tablet was installed in the car’s dashboard.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
ornl15.jpg
ornl15.jpg
Photos: ORNL’s 3D printed sports car

The finished product

The finished product

A final look at the completed car.

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By Conner Forrest
Conner is a former Senior Editor for TechRepublic. He is now a Senior Research Analyst at 451 Research.
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