PROJECT CHAMELEON

Scaled Ltd build a driving 3D printed vehicle!

WHY?

To give people the opportunity to own a vehicle, designed from the ground up to be ideally suited to a particular environment. True mass customisation.

Sustainable. Affordable. Aesthetic.

OPTIMISING STRUCTURAL DESIGN

Working with partners Rafinex, Scaled Ltd have incorporated topology optimised design into Chameleon. The software that Rafinex have developed is stochastic, meaning that it tests many random variations in the loading conditions before delivering a final optimised structural design. This process ensures the design is robust - one more suited to real-world conditions where impacts and loads never quite happen as planned.

HOW?

By moving away from mass production to mass customisation, specialisation becomes affordable.

This paradigm shift is possible by being able to prototype and manufacture using the same technology - large scale 3d printing. Design and manufacture of a first production vehicle will be cheaper than traditional methods. Expensive, specialised production equipment and tools are not needed, there is no requirement for assembly lines - every vehicle variant can be produced in a single, versatile manufacturing cell. Lead times are only limited by the speed at which a vehicle can be printed.

THE CHAMELEON PLATFORM

The Chameleon Platform is a manufacturing cell for producing many different types of vehicle using the same hardware and software tool. Like the reptile it is named after, which adapts its colour to match the surroundings, the Chameleon Platform makes vehicles specifically adapted to their environment. The customer specifies their requirements and receives a vehicle designed to efficiently meet its task.

COLLABORATORS

Rafinex
Providers of 'stochastic topology optimization' for robust designs for safe lightweighting.
Lehvoss Group
High performance thermoplastics for 3D printing applications.
Onshape - A PTC Business
Cloud-based CAD for collaborative working.
UBRacing
Formula student team.
See how large scale 3D printing can benefit you