Motorsports team adding 3D Systems’ SLA 750 Dual and PSLA 270 technology to workflow to accelerate wind tunnel testing, building on decades-long partnership

Broad material portfolio combined with industry’s most advanced 3D printing technologies enables improved part quality, reduces time to part in hand
3D Systems’ solutions driving growth of additive manufacturing use in motorsports — total market for automotive anticipated to reach nearly $8 billion by 2027

3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) announced Sauber Motorsports, a Swiss motorsport engineering company, has selected 3D Systems’ latest polymer 3D printing technologies to accelerate innovation. Sauber intends to add 10 3D Systems 3D printers — eight SLA 750 Dual and two PSLA 270 — to its manufacturing workflow. The combination of these industry-leading technologies along with 3D Systems’ Accura® Composite PIV, Accura Xtreme, and Figure 4® ceramic-filled materials will increase Sauber’s production capacity for wind tunnel parts: enabling the team to maintain its position as a leading competitor.

3D Systems’ SLA 750 Dual is recognized as the fastest Stereolithography (SLA) solution available. The platform is designed to deliver the industry-leading combination of print size, speed, accuracy, and resolution for final parts that possess unmatched finish and mechanical performance. The two-laser configuration of this printer delivers increased throughput in a smaller footprint, delivering a higher return to Sauber on its investment. The PSLA 270 is a high speed, projector-based SLA additive manufacturing solution that efficiently delivers high quality parts with the most stable mechanical properties. This compact, cost-efficient, versatile mid-frame 3D printing solution delivers unrivalled accuracy, and first article success expected from SLA, with the speed, and material portfolio of 3D Systems’ Figure 4 projector-based technology. Sauber is the first Formula 1 team to incorporate the recently released PSLA technology to deliver the flexibility needed to execute quick, time-sensitive changes to wind tunnel parts.

“As a race team, Sauber is driven by its desire to win and we want to work with the latest and most innovative technologies,” said Marco Gehrig, head of mechanical & AM production, Sauber Group. “3D Systems is recognized as a pioneer in additive manufacturing, and the inventor of SLA. The benchmarks conducted on the SLA 750 yielded parts with better surface quality and required less post-processing than the current machines in use. Our team is looking forward to using the industry’s most advanced SLA technology available to increase our production speed, quality and flexibility for wind tunnel parts, and accelerating our speed to track.”

“3D Systems not only invented Stereolithography, but the company has also continued to invest in the portfolio, bringing to market additional platforms based on this technology,” said Elvis Perez, SVP, global ISG sales, 3D Systems. “Our continued R&D investment is critical to meet our customers’ evolving needs and helping them maintain their position as industry leaders. 3D Systems has a long-standing partnership with Sauber spanning nearly two decades, and our relationship as well as our technology portfolio have evolved over this time. I’m looking forward to continuing our journey with the Sauber team to push the boundaries of what’s possible in motorsports through the power of additive manufacturing.”

According to a report from Markets and Markets, the automotive 3D printing market size was estimated at $2.9 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow to 7.9 billion by 2027.[1] 3D Systems has decades of experience with top racing teams providing applications expertise alongside its portfolio of leading polymer and metal 3D printing technologies, materials, and software to help build, test, and iterate more efficiently, accelerating speed to track.
www.3dsystems.com

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