|
|
|
News & information about the fast-moving world
of digital manufacturing, modeling & simulation
January 08, 2013
3D Printing Drives RC Car
At this time of year, many of us come up with a New Years resolution or two, but how often do we actually achieve them? Andrew Lee, a Product Deign student at the esteemed Art Center College of Design, has done just that thanks to SolidWorks and a 3D printer.
Lee resolved to learn SolidWorks by first modeling an existing remote controlled (RC) car, and then by creating one of his own design. In conjunction with this design and production plan came clear design criteria, including durability in various driving conditions, and full drivability when assembled.
To begin, Lee modeled a stock RC car, then carefully removed key parts that can not yet be synthesized by a 3D printer such as the battery pack, speed controller, motor, AM receiver, the basic wheel assembly and the servo assembly.
The next step was to design a mockup that could test the printing process and the compatibility of each part with the components from the stock RC car. The design was then refined to include a durable body shell and a center shock to join the front and rear axles. Other elements that define the finished car include a raised suspension for "off-road" driving and a motor encased within the rear wheel.
When the parts were printed, painted and assembled, the result is a sophisticated, professional-looking prototype dubbed, “Prowler.”
But good looks aside, did the Prowler meet Lee's expectations? While we can't speak for Lee, videos of the Prowler seem to indicate it has.
The three-wheeled RC vehicle appears to have no trouble when it ventures onto off-road terrain, especially considering its size – most off-road RC cars look more like miniaturized monster trucks, and, while they can climb over some obstacles, their weight can slow them down. By contrast, the Prowler looks just as speedy and aggressive on the lawn as it does on the blacktop.
While we may not be seeing the Prowler in stores anytime soon, this project does showcase the versatility of 3D printing. Here, a student has demonstrated that he has just as much freedom to see his designs through to production as a design professional. Music production software has put the power to create in many more artists’ hands; perhaps 3D printing will do the same for amateur designers like Lee, providing the tools that allow good ideas to speak for themselves.
Read more about the Prowler at UType Design
Discussion
There are 0 discussion items posted.
|
Join the Discussion |
RSS Feeds
Feeds by Content Type
Subscribe to All Content
May 23, 2013
- Rolls-Royce AE 3007 Powers First Flight of US Navy's Triton UAV
- Cyclone Power Technologies Signs MOU With McGill University
- GeckoSystems Signs $5M Joint Venture Contract
- MES Enhanced with SQL to Link Manufacturing and ERP
- Synopsys Plans Full Slate of Special Events at DAC 2013
- Survey Copter Flies to Stratasys for 3D Printing of UAV Systems
- Wohlers Report Reveals Growth in 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing
- European Commission CoolEmAll Project Releases Prototypes
May 22, 2013
- NASA Calls For Phase II Visionary Advanced Concepts
- Lockheed Martin Conducts Warhead EMD Flight Test
- Honeywell Selects Teachers For Green Boot Camp
- Government Funds Star Tracker Image Sensor for ON Semiconductor
- NComputing Brings Desktop Virtualization to Citrix Users in Manufacturing
- Design Automation Conference to Present Design Yield Panel
- Synaptics Brings High Performance Touchscreens to Mainstream Electronics
May 21, 2013
- Siemens' Support For Diversity Through STEM Education is Recognized For 11th Straight Year
- Boston Micromachines Awarded Grant From NASA for Exoplanet Imaging Technology Development
- Interlink Electronics' Human-Machine Interface Solutions Ideal for Rugged Devices Market
- Qupiron, BirdBrain Bring Hummingbird Robotics Kit to Classrooms
- Apriso and LNS Research to Present on Improving Competitiveness
Most Read Features
- 3D Printing Falls into Gun Control Controversy
- GM Invests in HPC Center for Crash Test Simulations
- STEM Talks Take Root at NEF Regional Dialogues
- Boosting the Workforce, One Veteran at a Time
- Floodgates Open for the Industrial Internet
Most Read Off the Wire
- FIRST Appoints Co-Chairs of the Board of Directors
- Dell Laptops Come to Airbus Cockpits
- Stratasys 3D Printing Supports "Prometheus"
- CIMdata Completes 2013 PLM Market & Industry Forum
- Dassault Systèmes Acquires SIMPOE
- Intelligent Energy Leverages ANSYS for Hydrogen Fuel Cells
- SAP Expands Aerospace & Defense Portfolio
- Maker Faire Announces "Maker Week" in San Mateo County
- Autodesk and NetSuite Partner to Transform Manufacturing in the Cloud
- Digi-Key Supports Minnesota State Robotics Tournament
Most Read Blogs
Feature Articles
Aircraft Mock-ups Emerge from Gulfstream’s 3D CAVE
Simulations may be increasingly taking advantage of HPC to become more and more sophisticated, but the way those mountains of data are displayed don’t always keep up in terms of staying on the cutting edge. But one avenue for reviewing digital designs, called a cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE), looks to be making up for this trend by combining engineers’ modeling information with virtual reality.
Read more...
Understanding Fluid Flow in Microchannels
The ability to control fluid streams at microscale is of great importance in many domains such as biological processing, guiding chemical reactions, and creating structured materials. Recently, it has been discovered that placing pillars of different dimensions, and at different offsets, allows fluid transformations to “sculpt” fluid streams.
Read more...
Floodgates Open for the Industrial Internet
So far, the story surrounding the industrial Internet has been centered around GE, and their plans to infuse their factories with thousands of sensors that will bring big data to manufacturing. But after record-breaking floods from Hurricane Sandy took their toll on New York and New Jersey, environmental and civil engineers have found a new application for the Internet-connected sensor system.
Read more...
Short Takes
3D-Printed Airway Saves Life
May 23, 2013 |
In the wake of plastic gun stories, a unique use case for 3D printing helps demonstrate that the additive manufacturing technology's potential to save lives deserves its own place in the spotlight. Now, doctors at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor have combined medical expertise with 3D printing's flexibility to save a three-month old.
Read more...
Robotic Ants May Aid in Search and Rescue Missions
May 23, 2013 |
Researchers have been studying fire ants hoping to learn about their underground navigation skills. They want to apply their findings to making robots that will be able to assist in search and rescue missions for people trapped underground.
Read more...
MIT Improves Carbon-Fiber Composites
May 22, 2013 |
While advanced carbon-fiber composites have been used in the recent years, researchers are searching for materials that are even stronger and lighter. Composites made with carbon fibers coated with carbon nanotubes are being considered because they can be hundreds of times stronger than steel and only one-sixth the weight.
Read more...
NASA to 3D Print the Future of Food
May 22, 2013 |
NASA has awarded a $125,000 grant for a project intended to 3D print food for astronauts in space. The printer will mix together basic nutrients such as oil and protein powder to create the food. It will also allow the user to input their sex, age, and weight so that it can make the food based on the individual's own nutritional needs.
Read more...
Airbus Enters the Composite Class
May 17, 2013 |
This week, Airbus towed its newest airliner, the A350 XWB, out of its hangar and is poised to roll it into the spotlight of the upcoming Paris Air Show. The A350 XWB has been designed with the goal of surpassing the 787 in fuel efficiency and comfort, and has forgone metal for composite materials to make it happen.
Read more...
Sponsored Whitepapers
Big Data and Big Analytics for Product and Process Quality
03/20/2013 | SAS | This white paper examines how an enterprise-wide quality platform can turn existing data into substantial and sustainable revenue growth and cost savings for global manufacturers. The paper is based on the findings of the IW/SAS Enterprise Quality Survey completed by more than 400 manufacturing executives. The objectives of the survey were to determine concerns about quality among manufacturers; investigate the tools used to measure quality; and examine how using enterprise-wide analysis on quality data improves performance.
TATA Steel Automotive Engineering Depends on Univa
07/19/2011 | Univa | TATA Steel Automotive Engineering’s concern grew when open source Grid Engine support and development was discontinued by Oracle. Grid Engine is a business critical application in their environment. They recognized the likelihood that product enhancements and innovations would cease. Read how TATA Steel Automotive Engineering moved from a self-support solution to Univa Grid Engine. You can get more out of your environment and your budget with Univa Grid Engine.
Featured Events
- June 3, 2013
- June 04, 2013
Kingdom E-Government Summit
Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia
- June 4, 2013
- June 05, 2013
Oil and Gas Event
Accra,
Ghana
- June 5, 2013
- June 05, 2013
NCMS DM SIG Summer Meeting
Rio Rancho, NM
United States
- June 13, 2013
- June 14, 2013
Think Beyond Plastics Conference
Berkeley, CA
United States
- June 18, 2013
- June 19, 2013
American Chemical Manufacturing Summit 2013
Pittsburgh, PA
United States
- July 9, 2013
- July 10, 2013
V2V & V2I for Auto Safety USA 2013
Novi/Detroit, MI
United States
Copyright © 2011-2013 Tabor Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Digital Manufacturing Report is a registered trademark of Tabor Communications, Inc. Use of this site is governed by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Tabor Communications Inc. is prohibited.
Powered by Xtenit.