Shining 3D was founded in 2004 by graduates of ZJUT, considered to be one of the top industrial universities in Mainland China. The company has since then been awarded numerous patents and been recognized by both private and governmental agencies for their contributions to 3D technology. Shining 3D provides equipment and software for 3D printing, 3D scanning, and laser engraving for education, biomedical, aerospace, and other sectors of the global market. They consider their interface with education to be an important aspect not just in terms of the current market, but also in as much as students are the future producers and consumers of 3D technologies.
For the racecar project undertaken with ZJUT, the first lesson revolved around the creation of a customized steering wheel. It is extremely important when creating a race car that the steering wheel fit the driver’s hands perfectly. The closer to an absolute match that can be obtained on the steering wheel, the better as it reduces the stress of holding on and therefore any pain or exhaustion that might occur as a result. In order to create the wheel, the team first obtained a mold of the driver’s grip. This was done by having the driver press his fingers into a handful of plasticine and then 3D scanning the result. That digital model was then used to print out the customized grip for install in the steering wheel.
The result of this interaction between practiced experts and students was a car that was created without any existing mold, something that saved the team both time and money, as well as a deeper understanding of the ways in which 3D printing technologies can be applied to addressing problems in design and fabrication. Student racing teams are increasingly seeing 3D printing help take their cars to the finish line.
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[Source/Images: Shining 3D]