Jun 25, 2015 | By Simon
Considered by many to their favorite superhero (thanks in no small part to all of his cool tech, no doubt), Batman has also seen his fair share of screen time over the years in the form of movies, video games and television shows, too.
Thanks in no small part to this popularity, it comes with little surprise that some hardcore Batman fans have taken it upon themselves to create 3D printable models of everything from Batman gadget replicas to various objects that have become icons of the franchise - such as the Batmobile. Just earlier this week, 3Ders reported on a cosplay designer who had successfully created a 3D printed Batman suit based off of the latest Batman video game.
Now, another Batman fan has produced a 3D printable model of what is perhaps one of the most iconic Batman vehicles of all-time: the Batmobile from the original 1989 Batman movie.
The fan, Hector N Gama, just so happens to be an experienced 3D artist and industrial designer with experience using 3DS Max. Although he has only recently unveiled the design, he actually started it several years ago while attending Ohio State University in an effort to practice his 3D modeling skills. The reason he’s waited this long to produce the model as a physical object is because of the high cost of fabricating the pieces, which has dropped dramatically since.
To create the accurate Batmobile replica, Gama purchased a modeling kit for the vehicle and compiled a folder of high-resolution reference images. Using both the physical pieces as well as the more detailed photographs, he painstakingly modeled each and every part until the final assembly came together and revealed itself as a completed Batmobile.
While the modeling started years ago, owning a 3D printer has been a relatively new experience for Gama, who purchased an Airwolf 3D XL 3D Printer to create the model with. At the time he made the purchase, it was the most affordable model with the largest available build envelope in its class. The headquarters for Airwolf also happened to be nearby in Southern California in the case that anything were to go wrong.
The final, the majority of the 3D printable Batmobile design consists of eight prominent parts that are assembled and held together with glue. An additional 34 parts for less prominent assembly features including decorative elements make up the whole of the finished design. Because the Airwolf 3D XL’s print volume is capable of printing up to 11.5" x 8" x 7", it was perfect for printing all of the components needed ranging from the largest pieces to the smallest pieces. In total, Gama estimates that he invested approximately 100 hours of 3D printing time to complete a single Batmobile.
Unlike some other 3D printed vehicle designs that only feature a 3D printed ‘shell’, Gama’s finished Batmobile assembly is nearly entirely 3D printed from black or silver PLA material. For the tires, a flexible PLA material was used for a more life-like quality. For the glass elements including the windshield and headlights, a transparent blue PLA filament was used while a red PLA was used for the taillights. Impressively, the only thing that is not 3D printed within the entire assembly is the lighting system, which is surprisingly made from a small set of Christmas lights that are stored within the cockpit.
While it’s unknown of Gama plans on releasing the STL files online for others to create their own Batmobiles for free (selling them would likely raise some franchise licensing red flags), it’s clear that this Batmobile is not only one of the best examples of a Batman product we’ve seen come off of a 3D printer, but also a 3D printed vehicle, period.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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Are you selling your batmobile & how much did it cost you to build it?its Bad Ass bro,my email is chosen5845@gmail.com!:-)
MichaelAtOz wrote at 7/8/2015 12:46:12 AM:
FLAMES! Needs flames...
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