Autodesk, Local Motors collaborate to apply 3-D printing

Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, Calif., has announced that Local Motors, Chandler, Ariz., will use Autodesk’s Spark open platform for 3-D printing in its development of the Strati, the world’s first 3-D-printed car. The platform will help connect automobile digital design information to the 3-D printer in a streamlined way for simplified visualization and optimization of 3-D prints.

In its first large-scale industrial application, the platform will guide design for additive manufacturing and simplify the creation of machine code, helping Local Motors turn digital models into actual physical production parts faster than was possible previously, according to the company.