Here at 3D Rapid Print, one of the fastest growing 3D Printing companies in the Thames Valley, we like to keep abreast of the latest innovations in 3D printing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In January 2019, multinational automobile and motorcycle manufacturer Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) of Munich, Germany unveiled the new BMW Individual M850i Night Sky, which has material from meteorites incorporated into the cabin. The centre console\u2019s trim plate, start\/stop button, selector lever and \u201ctouch controller\u201d for the so-called \u201ciDrive system\u201d are all decorated with meteoric rock. Furthermore, inlays made from the material are incorporated into the door sill finishers, as well as an illuminated model badge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The so-called \u201cWidmanst\u00e4tten\u201d structure of the meteoric rock\u2019s nickel-iron alloy crystals forms from the alloy cooling in an extremely slow process that would be impractically difficult to scientifically replicate on Earth. The design of many parts of the BMW Individual M850i Night Sky takes inspiration from the Widmanst\u00e4tten structure, including the hand-stitched headliner and the centre console\u2019s trim finishers. The Widmanst\u00e4tten structure has also been milled into the brake discs and woven into other 3D printed parts, including the exterior mirror caps, the front splitters for the side air intakes at the front of the car, the centre mesh plate and the surrounds for the air breathers on the front side panels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201cbionic-design\u201d brakes are also 3D printed. While designing the car\u2019s brake calipers, BMW was able to make them as light as possible while still satisfying the car\u2019s technical requirements, ergo only the material needed for the brakes to work was used. The resulting structure imitates that of bones, achieving a balance between the part\u2019s rigidity and mass; this can only be done via additive manufacturing. This also enabled BMW to integrate the brake fluid channels into the design of the brake calipers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The interior leather trim comes in a tri-colour design with LED-illuminated star constellations on the centre console for extra astronomical effect. The Widmanst\u00e4tten structure is also repeated in the stitching pattern for the seat centre sections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BMW introduced the car to coincide with the Quadrantid meteor shower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3D printing is an amazing tool. It can grow your small business or start a mini revolution in an industry. Explore what it can do for you when you contact us today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Disclaimer: Featured image of \u201cA Brouhot car in Paris, 1910\u201d is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 100 years of less.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Here at 3D Rapid Print, one of the fastest growing 3D Printing companies in the Thames Valley, we like to keep abreast of the latest innovations in 3D printing. In January 2019, multinational automobile and motorcycle manufacturer Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) of Munich, Germany unveiled the new BMW Individual M850i Night Sky, which has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1038,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"yoast_head":"\n