The Steyr tractor brand began in the late 1940s and has been evolving ever since to keep up with the demanding needs of life on a farm. Like many in the agricultural machinery and equipment industry, Steyr takes part in the global exhibition AGRITECHNICA to connect with current customers and make contact with new ones.
After SLS printing, the parts were painted to match the color and finish of the life-size product.
In order to stand out in the hustle and bustle of the trade show environment, Steyr wanted to do something creative and memorable by providing visitors with a beautiful and accurate scale model of its product, in the form of 500 sets of 1:40 scale models.
Challenges:
Create a high-quality, high-impact product in a short timeframe to capture attention and interest in a trade show setting.
Solutions:
It was important for Steyr to keep to a certain budget on this project without sacrificing quality. 3D Systems’ manufacturing experts, therefore, recommended a combination of selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printing and injection molding in order to get the most realistic and aesthetically sophisticated final product.
The combination of SLS and injection molded parts that were assembled to give the most realistic and sophisticated finish product.
Using Steyr’s rendering to create a 3D printable design made up of an assembly of eight separate components, half to be 3D printed and half to be injection molded. The printed components were produced on 3D Systems’ sPro™ 230 machines in DuraForm® PA. This high strength nylon material is widely used for functional applications, such as snap fits and living hinges, and is popular for both its durability and visual appeal. After printing, the parts were painted to match the color and finish of the life-size product before assembly and final detailing.
Benefits:
Steyr delivered 500 sets of 1:40 scale final, hand-finished tractor models in 4 weeks. Steyr was thrilled with the models and so were their customers.
