APWORKS Forward Organizer
The 3D printed forward organiser exhibited at the Mariners' Museum.
APWORKS, a subsidiary of aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, has seen its 3D printed high performance structure component exhibited at The Mariners’ Museum in Virginia.
The part, a lightweight forward organiser which forms part of the system to control the wing of a race boat, was printed in high strength Scalmalloy. In line with the 35th America’s Cup, the Mariners’ Museum opened a new exhibition focusing on the illustrious history of the competition. APWORKS’ 3D printed component is one of many features which can be seen in the long-term exhibit.
APWORKS managed to save weight, time and money by adopting 3D printing techniques for the production of the forward organiser. The geometry production of the complex part was realised in just a few days, compared to weeks with conventional machining methods, which meant less down-time. By using the Scalmalloy alloy, APWORKS was able to maintain the strength of the component while saving 57% in weight.
Sam Greenfield © Sam Greenfield/ORACLE TEAM USA
APWORKS ORACLE Team USA
The America's Cup is held by the Golden Gate Yacht Club - the Club's Oracle Team USA will be defending the title this month.
The component is on display at the ‘Speed and Innovation’ exhibition, which remembers the world’s premier yathching race. As the world’s oldest international sporting competition, predating even the modern Olympics, the world best sailors and most advanced boats have competed for the silver trophy since 1851.
In accordance with the competition’s history and prestige, the ‘Speed and Innovation’ exhibition is hosted by one of the largest maritime museums in North America. Boasting one of the world’s most expensive maritime collections, the Mariners’ Museum and Park is committed to the preservation and conservation of more than 32,000 objects and several million library and archive materials.
The 2017 America’s Cup will see the Golden Gate Yacht Club’s Oracle Team USA defend its title against an as yet unnamed challenger later this month. In 2013, the Oracle Team USA successfully defended the title against the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, winning 9-8.
