Take a look at this vintage Shelby Cobra and see if you notice anything odd:
Unless you are a car aficionado or an avid fan of the TV show Top Gear, you probably can’t even tell the difference between this 3D rendition of the Shelby Cobra from its standard counterpart. Manufactured in the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing (IACMI) initiative, this particular model has a Class A surface finish and has been printed using 20% carbon fiber reinforced material, making it 50% lighter than its original version. Essentially, the materials are three times as strong and twice as light as the lightest metals. Furthermore, the vehicle’s sleek design sacrifices neither speed nor control, which means that even the most die-hard race automobile enthusiast will still be attracted to the car’s aesthetics and performance.
With less than a year to its life, IACMI, of which Dassault Systemes is a charter member, has already had visits from President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and a recent one from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker on August 27th to the IACMI Oak Ridge site. In her visit, Secretary Pritzker held a round table discussion where she met with the Institute member companies to hear about their experience with IACMI, along with various ORNL and IACMI officials. Among those who attended was our very own Scott Berkey, Managing Director of Dassault Systemes North America. You can read more about Dassault Systemes’ recent involvement with IACMI here.
As 3D printing is becoming a more established and viable solution to mass production, the continued regional collaboration under IACMI could potentially drive America to the next manufacturing revolution in just five to seven years.
“We want America to lead and be number one in manufacturing,” said Rep. Chuck Fleischmann during his visit to ORNL in Knoxville, Tennessee.
And as a leader in composites and a proud charter member of IACMI, Dassault Systemes also shares Mr. Fleischmann’s ambition and enthusiasm for sustainable growth in the United States. We will continue to stand on the side of innovation and we are eager to play our part in advancing clean energy and efficient manufacturing.
Image credits:
Shelby Cobra via Ornl.gov
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