As engineering students, the team members were already familiar with digital design and 3D printing, but needed to avail themselves of some professional assistance in terms of obtaining the resources required to actually create their 3D printed car. For help with their design, Team Ostfreezer turned to Materialise, who assisted them in designing the car’s body with Materialise Magics and Materialise 3-matic software. The result was not only sturdy and functional but attractive to look at, with its curving lines and webbing-like textures that, according to Materialise, would not have been possible without 3D printing. Materialise printed the frame out using laser sintering technology and shipped it over to the German students, who glued the various parts together to create their sleek, speedy, screwdriver-powered car.
Around 5,000 people gathered to watch the Akkuschrauberrennen, which took place on a bright, sunny day in Hildesheim. Each team was given exactly 60 seconds to start up their cars with their electric screwdrivers and then give their teammates a starting push onto the track, which featured several sharp turns and obstacles to challenge the drivers. Alas, Team Ostfreezer did not add a fourth title to their record this year, though they did make the quarter finals. First place was taken by Team MOPET from HAWK Hochscule’s Hildesheim campus, despite an impressive crash in their first race. There’s definitely something to be said for home track advantage. You can watch a few highlights from this year’s race below. Discuss further in the Race Featuring 3D Printed Car Frame forum over at 3DPB.com.
[Source/Images: Materialise]