Geldermalsen, the Netherlands, 9 April 2014 – Zuyd University of Applied Sciences is participating in the 2014 Shell Eco-marathon with a car for which 3D printing technology has been used in the production process. The Shell Eco-marathon is an annual competition that aims to challenge student teams to develop, build and test ultra-efficient cars.
Zuyd University is participating for the fifth time, but it is the first time that 3D printing technology is being used during the production process. A desktop 3D printer makes car parts like the dashboard, steering wheel, mirrors and handles. On top of that, 220 molds are printed to make the carbon fibre parts for the body of the car.
Ultimaker supports the Zuyd University team with ten Ultimaker Original 3D printers to make the printing as fast and efficient as possible.
“The main goal is to make a car that is as sustainable as possible, and the energy consumption must be as low as possible,“ says Professor Rob van Loevezijn of Zuyd University’s Faculty of Beta Sciences and Technology. 3D printing has been chosen because this technology is budget and environmentally friendly. The PLA plastics used in the 3D printer are environmentally friendly and biodegradable. Making the molds with a 3D printer is also a lot faster than making the traditional wooden molds….
Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers!
Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D!
The Adafruit Learning System has dozens of great tools to get you well on your way to creating incredible works of engineering, interactive art, and design with your 3D printer! If you’ve made a cool project that combines 3D printing and electronics, be sure to let us know, and we’ll feature it here!