How 3D Printing Helped Team USA Go for Gold

How 3D Printing Helped Team USA Go for Gold

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Chris Mazdzer of the U.S. got his silver medal in a men’s luge singles event. He and his team won the competition using 3D printing technology. There are three reasons aerodynamics, lightweight material, and comfort.

First, the team worked with an American company called Stratasys. The company made a scan, or image, of the body of every member of the luge team. This data contributed to optimizing aerodynamics to get a faster record.

Second, snowboard maker CAPiTA provided team USA with stronger sidewalls for its snowboards. The boards were made with complex materials such as wood and plastic. The boards’ potential was improved by these materials.

Finally, another 3D company, Materialise, gave them form-fitted insides for ski boots. These parts were made by the 3D scan data of a teammate. In my opinion, 3D printing technology is used extensively for not only sports, but also for industries such as education and medical. In the future, we might live in new style houses made by 3D printing technology.