University of Michigan students use 3D printing and scanning for solar car
By Susan Wilson
Students at the University of Michigan used Z Corporations 3D printing and scanning technology to design and test Infinium, their solar car. Infinium is this year’s student solar car entry in the upcoming World Solar Challenge in Australia.
Z Corporation makes a variety of 3D printers, scanners and software. The corporation is also a sponsor of the University of Michigan solar car team. Thanks to the company’s sponsorship, students were able to use a 3D scanner to compare prototypes with digital designs and a 3D printer to create prototypes of car parts. The students found other uses for the 3D printer. They were able to print molds for “lightweight carbon fiber parts” and model cars for displays.
The advantages of using the 3D scanner and printer were described by the current product manager.
“Each time we use the ZPrinter to create a part prototype, mold or car model we save weeks and thousands of dollars by not sending the work out to a service bureau,” said Steve Hechtman, 2009 project manager, recent graduate and four-year member of the University of Michigan Solar Car Team. “Each time we use the ZScanner we know we’re capturing precise engineering data to drive critical design decisions. We’re working faster and smarter, and Infinium shows it.”
The Infinium looks like a sleek wheeled UFO. The vehicle is so thin that it looks as if it would be incapable of holding a human being. The solar car next to a school student van looks even more otherworldly. The wheels look like landing gear.
Despite the space age appearance, the University of Michigan solar car is expected to do well this October in the World Solar Challenge when the team will race across Australia in Infinium. University of Michigan solar car teams have won “the North American Solar Challenge (a 2,400-mile race from Dallas to Calgary, Alberta, Canada) five out of nine times and has finished as high as third in the World Championship three times.”
It will be fun to see if using the 3D technology in the creation of the solar car, will be enough to propel it all the way to first place.
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Stumble It!
June 30th, 2009
Great to see you using 3D scanning technologies for this project. I felt compelled to comment as the first ever user of a FaroArm portable 3D CMM. Back in early 1995, I used a FaroArm to align the wheels on the U. of Maryland solar car. That was our first project as Direct Dimensions.
July 3rd, 2009
Great to see you using 3D scanning technologies for this project. I felt compelled to comment as the first ever user of a FaroArm portable 3D CMM. Back in early 1995, I used a FaroArm to align the wheels on the U. of Maryland solar car. That was our first project as Direct Dimensions.