Costa Mesa, Calif. (PRWEB) March 31, 2014
Saleen Automotive, a specialty manufacturer of high-performance vehicles, is producing plastic prototypes of parts for its cars made from an Airwolf 3D printer.
“It used to take six weeks to build prototype parts for our cars,” Sven Etzelsberger, vice president of engineering for Saleen, explained. “It was a complicated process that included CAD designs, sending designs to a tool maker, having the prototype injection molded and returned to us. And if the prototype wasn’t perfect, we repeated the process until we were satisfied. With our Airwolf AW3D XL 3D printer, we accomplish the same thing in three days. Not only do we get parts into production faster, we can also modify and refine our designs faster.”
For Saleen, the Airwolf 3D printer has been ideal for making large-scale prototypes. The larger platform model comes fully assembled, calibrated and tested. It is also easier to use, maintain, and set up than standard RepRaps.
“We built our AW3D XL to print faster and more accurately than any printer in its price range,” stated Erick Wolf, Airwolf 3D president. “It allows a company like Saleen to print parts that are strong enough to place inside their muscle cars.”
The AW3D XL is one of Airwolf 3D’s high-performance 3D printer line that also includes the company’s flagship product: the AW3D HD. That model features a class-leading build envelope of 1,150 cubic inches (12” x 8” x 7”), making it ideal for large prototyping. The printer offers layer-to-layer resolution as fine as 0.06mm and a maximum print speed of 150mm/s with a positioning precision of 0.02mm. Because the 3D printer is fully autonomous, no link-up to a computer is required.
MSRP for the AW3D XL is $2,399. The AW3D HD is $2,995 and, the AW3D V5 is $1,695. Two 3D printer kits that come unassembled and presoldered include the AW3D XL ($1,895 MSRP) and AW3D ($1,295 MSRP).
About Saleen Automotive Inc.
Saleen is an American specialty manufacturer of high-performance vehicles, technical performance parts, lifestyle accessories and apparel. Founder Steve Saleen has continually set the bar for automotive design and performance engineering in both street and racing applications. The Saleen staff consists of a wide range of designers, R & D engineers and production team members that work together to push the envelope of development, manufacturing, and certification of high-performance specialty vehicles. Learn more at http://www.saleen.com.
About Airwolf 3D
Airwolf 3D is committed to manufacturing high-performance 3D printers that are fast, affordable, durable and easy to use. Made in America, they are manufactured in the company’s 5,000 sq. ft. facility in Costa Mesa, Calif. Currently, Airwolf 3D printers can be found in engineering firms, government agencies and schools worldwide. For more information visit http://www.Airwolf3D.com, telephone (949) 478-2933, email info(at)Airwolf3D(dot)com, or visit the company’s showroom at 130 McCormick, Suite 112, Costa Mesa, CA 92636 for a free demonstration.
[Source: Saleen Automotive]