Stratasys, Autodesk Unveil Turbo Prop Aircraft Engine Model
Engine length 10 feet with a blade span of 10.5 feet
MINNEAPOLIS,
MN, Dec 3, 2009 - At
Autodesk University 2009,
Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS) and Autodesk unveiled the world’s first full-scale
turbo-prop aircraft engine model. It was produced using Stratasys FDM (Fused
Deposition Modeling) technology.
The engine’s design was created using Autodesk Inventor 2010 mechanical
design and engineering software, and it was produced on both Fortus 3D
Production Systems and Dimension 3D Printers from Stratasys. The engine
model sets a new precedence in scale, and it showcases the potential of 3D
printing.
“Our Inventor software with FDM technology takes design innovation to an
entirely new level of sophistication,” says Autodesk’s Gonzalo Martinez,
office of the CTO. “Today at Autodesk University we’ve shown that with FDM,
you can create realistic 3D models of nearly any design. We believe that
Stratasys FDM technology is the future of 3D printing and production.”
The
engine’s gear box includes two sets of gears, which operate two sets of
propellers that move in counter rotation to each other. With an engine
length of over 10 feet, a blade-span of 10.5 feet, and 188 components, the
engine model is massive in size. It includes several large parts, such as
six propeller blades, each measuring 4.5 feet.
Building this physical model with FDM helped improve its design by
identifying four opportunities to make components fit or operate with better
precision. Assembling a physical model helps design engineers be certain of
component form, fit, and function.
The turbo-prop engine was designed by Nino Caldarola, a freelance
designer for Autodesk. He shared his concept with Autodesk who wanted to
bring a full-scale model to life using Inventor software and FDM technology.
Caldarola’s design is a hybrid of newer engine and classic engine design and
was partially inspired by the Piaggio Avanti II aircraft engine, the TP 500.
Caldarola worked with engineers at RedEye On Demand prototyping and
production service, a business unit of Stratasys, to make adjustments that
would ensure an accurate physical model.
97% Cost Reduction; 83% Time Reduction
All 188 components were produced in 4 weeks and assembled in 2.5 weeks
for a total production time of 6.5 weeks. Using conventional fabrication
processes, such as machining and casting (with in-house and outside
resources) a manufacturer would expect to spend 9 months or more producing a
model like this. Using the FDM process in-house, a manufacturer could expect
costs of roughly $25,000, versus an estimated $800,000 to $1 million for
conventional processes. These numbers represent about a 97% reduction in
production costs and 83% reduction in production time.
With conventional fabrication processes, the full gearbox assembly would
be composed of metal. For this turbo-prop model, the components were
produced from ABS plastic, which provided the strength to support the large,
heavy gear assembly. The model was built in Minneapolis and shipped across
the country, which made a tough, durable construction material essential.
“It was spectacular seeing my computer design brought to life with a 3D
model,” says Caldarola. “I worked under a tight timeline and across
geographies with both Stratasys and Autodesk, and I am very proud of the
collaborative process and result. Just a few years ago, a project of this
scale would have never been attempted.”
“This project shows that 3D printing has made the progression to large
format,” says Stratasys CEO, Scott Crump. “Hopefully this project will help
make manufacturers aware that a designer can conceive and design a product
this significant, and then have it physically modeled in about 6 weeks.”
After creating complex models with additive fabrication, manufacturers
can then use the CAD files to create perfect-mating jigs and fixtures to
support production processes. “Having a full-scale physical model is a
powerful communication tool for both the production-machining and
production-tool-creation processes,” says Crump. “And manufacturers can
realize incredible ROI for both of these processes.”
Autodesk University (AU), held Dec. 1-3, 2009 in Las Vegas, is the annual
user conference and exhibition for Autodesk, Inc., the world leader in 2D
and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and
media and entertainment markets.
About Stratasys, Inc.
Stratasys, Inc., Minneapolis, manufactures additive fabrication machines
for prototyping and manufacturing plastic parts under the brands Fortus 3D
Production Systems and Dimension 3D Printers. The company also operates
RedEye On Demand, an online service for part prototyping and production.
According to Wohlers Report 2009, Stratasys supplied 43 percent of all
additive fabrication systems installed worldwide in 2008, making it the unit
market leader for the seventh consecutive year. Stratasys patented and owns
the process known as FDM. The process creates functional prototypes and
manufactured goods directly from any 3D CAD program, using high-performance
industrial thermoplastics. The company holds more than 250 granted or
pending additive fabrication patents globally. Stratasys products are used
in the aerospace, defense, automotive, medical, business & industrial
equipment, education, architecture, and consumer-product industries.
The
engine’s gear box includes two sets of gears, which operate two sets of
propellers that move in counter rotation to each other. With an engine
length of over 10 feet, a blade-span of 10.5 feet, and 188 components, the
engine model is massive in size. It includes several large parts, such as
six propeller blades, each measuring 4.5 feet. 