Honda partnership creates first 3D printed car for deliveries

Honda and Kabuku partnered to 3D print a very small delivery vehicle for Japanese confectionery specialist Toshimaya.

Of late 3D printed cars have been stealing the limelight of every list of 3D printing breakthroughs, with Arizona-based Local Motors and its world’s first road-ready 3D printed car pioneering the way according to 3D Printing Applications’ article ‘Kabuku and Honda realise first 3D printed car for confectionary delivery service’. Many other pre-eminent car manufacturers are also experimenting with 3D printers, especially as prototyping tools.

The joint venture revealed its creation at CEATEC JAPAN over October 4 to 7 at the Makuhari Messe in the Chiba Prefecture.

Onlookers were rendered gobsmacked at the site of a printed car.

The innovative goal of this car is to manage narrow streets to deliver Toshimaya’s confectionary in an attractive – for advertising purposes – format, reports the article.

The mini-size of the car, which was cheaper to build than conventional cars, is not surprising as comparatively speaking everything is small in Japan to fit into the small, dense and highly populated nature of the country.

Kabuku reportedly relied on Rinkak’s mass-customisation solutions and rapid 3D design platform to build the vehicle in a speedy two months.

Honda’s synergy with  Kabuku, the startup behind Rinkak which provides an online marketplace that enables makers to upload their 3D printable designs and sell them directly to consumers globally, is not surprising, reports the article.

The two companies revealed that Kabuku designed and 3D printed the car’s body while Honda oversaw the mechanical dimensions.

Kabuku has already said that it is planning to build further upon the same factory network that produced the vehicle.