taking a ground-breaking approach.

This collaboration between Siemens and Hackrod is aimed at developing an environment where customers can design their own custom vehicles . Code-named “La Bandita,” the approach combines state-of-the-art industrial trends: Vehicles are designed in virtual reality, with construction based on artificial intelligence and processes based on generative design technologies. Various 3D printing processes are used in production.

Siemens supplies the startup company with different components of its own PLM Software Suite . Tools such as the Solid Edge Portal (3D-CAD collaboration) and NX Software (product engineering) should also help Hackrod develop a quick and efficient solution even without its own extensive infrastructure. In the future, customers may play a much more influential role in industrial product designs. Concepts for producing entire automobiles using 3D printing have long been a hot topic: American startup Divergent3D is already working on a sports car produced by additive manufacturing, which is set to start series printing in 2019 .