Helmond, the Netherlands, July 22, 2019 – DiManEx, a company that makes it possible to embed 3D printing in industrial supply chains through a network of Additive Manufacturing partners, is proud to announce its collaboration with Lightyear, the producers of the world’s first long-range solar car. The Lightyear One, which was unveiled on June 25, 2019, is a 5-passenger sustainable car prototype that will enter production next year. The car’s interior is furnished with more than 60 3D printed parts produced through DiManEx’s digital supply platform.
Supporting Lightyear’s quest for efficiency
Efficiency is one of Lightyear’s founding principles. As the company’s CEO and Co-Founder Lex Hoefsloot explains, Lightyear is “applying an efficiency mindset to mobility.” The company was looking for partners who shared this mindset and would enable them to build a high quality prototype at high speed. The first encounter with DiManEx took place in March 2019. A few months later, they had secured dozens of interior parts for the prototype’s launch in June of the same year.
3D printing is ideal for producing parts at high speed
Lightyear provided the designs and DiManEx supplied the parts through its extensive global network of top quality additive manufacturing partners. The proximity made it possible to supply parts within 4 -10 days, depending on complexity and post-processing. Being a prototype, some changes were required in several parts. The use of Additive Manufacturing made it possible to incorporate these changes quickly at a much lower cost than through traditional production.
“Additive Manufacturing allows you to do a lot of iterations and get parts fast,” DiManEx COO Henk Jonker explains. “We are able to transform the supply chain for companies like Lightyear. We provide what they need much faster without minimum order quantities and allowing for last minute changes on the fly. There is no investment in tooling or tied up working capital required. It’s a no hassle solution that results in less waste, which is completely in line with the philosophy of both our companies. We are very proud of the speed at which we delivered parts for the Lightyear team and are thrilled to see each component come together to form a magnificent car, the first of its kind. It’s been a great cooperation with excellent results.”
About Lightyear
Lightyear’s mission is to make clean mobility available to everyone, everywhere. Lightyear develops electric cars with energy-efficient design and integrated solar cells. Drivers could go up to 20,000 kilometers a year on the sun, depending on the climate. The fast-growing company was founded in 2016 and now has more than 140 employees. The team is a mix of young talent and experience from the automotive industry, including former employees of Tesla and Ferrari. Lightyear also opened its own production facility in Helmond. In less than two years, the company has raised over 20 million euros from reservations, investments and grants. They were awarded CES Climate Change Innovator, Postcode Lottery Green Challenge Finalist, and, recently, Lightyear received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 848620. In the summer of 2019, Lightyear will open a new office and launch the first prototype of the Lightyear One, Lightyear’s first model. www.lightyear.one
About DiManEx
DiManEx provides a cloud-based, end-to-end supply platform for distributed 3D manufacturing through a network of certified Additive Manufacturing partners. Ideal for manufacturers and parts intensive companies, our digital supply platform can be accessed anywhere in the world to produce industrial parts and small series with the click of a button. We are strongly committed to quality. Visit www.dimanex.com to learn more.
