“We have been partners with Siemens since 2011, and today’s announcement takes that partnership to the next level by enabling our community of co-creators to innovate even faster,” said Jay Rogers, CEO of Local Motors. “We developed the world’s first co-created vehicle and 3D-printed car, and now our LM Labs program is providing the world’s makers with a way – both online and offline – to create new technologies to advance the future of transportation. Open to anyone, LM Labs helps brilliant minds create new technologies the world needs. While our primary focus is on developing vehicles, LM Labs is a place where the community can advance any technology.”
Siemens brings to the equation significant expertise in the creation of “digital twins,” an IoT technology that enables physical cars and other vehicles to transmit real-time performance data to their computerized doubles created by the manufacturer. This allows engineers to test products in the virtual world, speeding up the prototyping process. In addition, Local Motors’ digital design manufacturing/3D printing technologies limit the need for tooling and cut back on the time lag between design and production, as well as simplifying design and redesign overall. Overall, the combination of the two companies’ assets should seriously speed up the development and marketing of 3D printed cars.
“By focusing on initiatives like Industrie 4.0, the Industrial Internet of Things, big data analytics, cloud computing and much more, Siemens leads the way in advancing the future of manufacturing,” said Dr. Helmuth Ludwig, executive vice president, chief digital officer, Siemens PLM Software. “As part of this leadership, we recognize the growing importance of additive manufacturing and 3D printing for the global manufacturing industry. That is why we are delighted to partner with innovative companies like Local Motors who are leading the way for large-scale 3D printing. By working closely together, we can help advance this technology so that all manufacturers can better realize innovation.”
Local Motors will be opening three new facilities this year, all of which will feature LM Labs sponsored by Siemens. Are you interested in driving one of these vehicles? Discuss in the 3D Printed Cars forum over at 3DPB.com.