MINNEAPOLIS, US/ REHOVOT, ISRAEL: Stratasys (SSYS) said that it has teamed with USA Luge to inject additive manufacturing into its quest for gold in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Harnessing the power of Stratasys fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing technology, the luge team is now able to more rapidly and cost-effectively build and test customized racing sleds tailored to the body of each athlete.
USA Luge is tapping into a wide range of high-performance materials from Stratasys to 3D print key layup and sacrificial tools used during manufacturing of carbon-fibre composite sleds. The advanced functionality of FDM enables an unprecedented level of customization not possible with standard composite fabrication – a critical success factor in racing sleds that often travel at speeds upwards of 87 miles per hour.
Additive manufacturing is key for engineering mandrels for the racing team’s Doubles Tower – a composite structure at the sled’s front used to accurately position riders’ legs during competition. Extremely difficult to fabricate due to complex, trapped-tool geometry – the structure guarantees proper athlete fit and position while racing. Leveraging the Stratasys ST-130 sacrificial (wash-out) tooling material, team designers were able to 3D print the mandrel, layup and cure the composite structure, and wash-out the tooling material – all in less than one week.
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