Design and engineering company Italdesign has partnered with Schindler and Politecnico di Torino to create the Climb-E, a new concept vehicle that challenges traditional ideas of automotive, domestic, work and entertainment spaces. To achieve this, Italdesign extensively used Stratasys’ 3DFashion™ technology, including the J850 TechStyle 3D printer, to 3D print directly onto familiar microfibers. The 3D printing platform offers over 600,000 unique colours, multiple shore values and the ability to simulate different textures and finishes, allowing designers to push aesthetic and functional boundaries. The Climb-E’s interior was designed with meticulous detail, enabling the vehicle to fulfil multiple roles.
The graphics on the rear horizontal backrest surfaces are covered in Alcantara customised by a Stratasys J850 TechStyle 3D printing directly onto the microfibers, using materials compatible with approved standards.
According to Claudia Gilardi, Color Material Finishing (CMF) Designer, Italdesign, when the Climb-E project was initiated, the Stratasys technology immediately came to mind for vehicle interiors. Gilardi noted that the 3DFashion technology, with its unique combination of transparencies and chromatic effects, could convey a sense of both real and virtual colour. As colours can vary depending on lighting and viewing angles, the technology can integrate the different worlds of automotive design and fashion.
Gilardi also identified two interesting uses for the Stratasys 3DFashion technology in the automotive industry. Firstly, for the production of prototypes, with the reduced lead times and costs, while 3D printed textures complement standard coating materials. Secondly, for customization, where 3D printing onto mesh materials can create innovative effects with backlighting. The combination of 3D printing onto textiles with embedded electronics could offer novel ways of interacting with the functions of space in the future, Gilardi concluded.