WAU adds advanced 3D printing to its arsenal

Australian Supercars Championship team, Walkinshaw Andretti United (WAU) Racing, has announced a partnership agreement with Stratasys to bring the latest 3D printing solution to the team for the 2021 Supercar Championship Season.

 The WAU team will leverage Stratasys FDM Printers to produce prototypes of customised parts for its cars, as well as tooling and fixtures for production within the Walkinshaw Group, which designs, engineers, develops, and markets performance vehicles, and has significant motor sport interests in Australia and the UK. The systems are installed at the Walkinshaw Group facility at Clayton, Victoria. Stratasys and sister company TCL Hofmann also provide the team with regular training and technical support services.

“To be partnering with TCL Hofmann and Stratasys to advance our manufacturing process is an extremely exciting opportunity for Walkinshaw Andretti United,” said Walkinshaw Andretti United Team Principal, Bruce Stewart.

“3D printing technology is essential in the way we build and manufacture development parts for both our Supercars, so to have the opportunity to do it with undoubtedly the best available puts us in a fantastic position for the 2021 Supercars Championship,” added Stewart.

“Supercars is a highly competitive industry where precision matters, we are chasing milliseconds over the course of a race weekend, so our entire team is excited to have the right tools at hand to be able to chase the ultimate glory.”

Stratasys said it is a global leader and founder of the FDM 3D printing technology that has accumulated more than 30 years of knowledge in additive manufacturing or 3D printing technology. The company’s technologies are used to create prototypes, manufacturing tools, and production parts across industries including aerospace, automotive, healthcare, consumer products and education.

TCL Hofmann joined the Stratasys channel network in 2019 and has supplied leading-edge technologies to manufacturing companies and organisations, helping them upscale businesses and optimize results.

“The best for the best, we are excited for this partnership and look forward to seeing the WAU team reap the benefits of 3D printing to push more limits,” said TCL Hofmann Managing Director, Joseph Hancock. “And of course, we are a phone call away as time is of the essence, especially in the racing industry.”

Ben Darling, Stratasys Senior Territory Manager, Australia and New Zealand Region, said the organisation understands the fierce competition of motor racing, and that every second counts in the sport. “That is why Stratasys invested in over 1,000 hours testing key build attributes of the printer, so that our customers can get it right first time and every time,” added Darling.