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CARRYING ITS WEIGHT

3D PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

FDM Technology Helps Reduce Tooling Costs By $60,000 Per Part “Every time we avoid cutting a tool, we save 8 to 12 weeks.”

Real Solution – Randy Larson, Polaris Engineers designed the carrier rack in Pro/E and built it using a Stratasys 3D Production System, employing the FDM additive fabrication process. Then they evaluated the physical part and improved the design to an extent that would have required the usual revisions to the mold. FDM prototyping Real Challenge Polaris snowmobiles have achieved an unparalleled record of performance, winning 60% of the stock class titles during the 2008 World Snowmobile Championships. Polaris has built this amazing record through painstaking attention to detail. The attitude of company engineers is “Every part must be perfect.”In the past, the pursuit of perfection could sometimes be expensive. Polaris engineers designed plastic parts and then built tooling to injection mold the prototypes. They installed the prototypes on snowmobiles and checked their fit and finish, eye appeal, and functionality. In nearly every case, they came up with ways that the prototypes could be improved. These improvements cost an average of $60,000 in tooling modifications for each part. “In the last few years we’ve been doing things differently,” says Fabrication Shop Supervisor, Randy Larson. “We looked for a machine that could produce prototypes strong and accurate enough for functional tests. Stratasys 3D Production Systems met our requirements. The PC-ABS material provides 70% of the strength of production ABS, so it’s strong enough for nearly every prototype. Just as important, we’ve found the system provides accuracies of +/-0.001 inch per inch (0.0254 mm per mm) which is also sufficient for most every prototype.”As an optional accessory to RMK model snowmobile seats, Polaris makes a carrier rack that can hold a bag, shovel, and fuel can. The part measures 16 x 18 x 5 in. (41 x 46 x 13 mm). The most critical dimension is the width, which must be held to within +/- 0.010 in. ( 0.254 mm).
Image 1: Polaris avoided cutting two injection molding tools by using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) for a snowmobile carrier rack. Image 3: The rack can carry a bag, fuel can, and shovel. Image 2: The carrier rack prototype was built in two pieces and assembled. How Did FDM Compare to Traditional Processes for Polaris? ProcessCost EstimateLead Time I.M. Tooling$60,00070 daysFDM $1,200 2 days SAVINGS$58,800(98%)68 days(97%) hkbfl