Skip to main content

INTAMSYS and Solar Team Eindhoven: Pioneering the World’s First Off-Road Solar Powered Car

Stella Terra, the world’s first off-road solar-powered car, successfully navigating the Sahara Desert. This achievement marks a significant milestone in sustainable automotive innovation, demonstrating the potential of 3D printing technology in creating efficient, eco-friendly vehicles.

Navigating Challenges: Stella Terra's Unmatched Off-Road Durability and the Thriving Partnership

Stella Terra, compliant with EU regulations, stands out as the first solar-powered off-road vehicle globally. Its self-sustaining energy source eliminates the need for recharging stations, allowing it to traverse diverse terrains effortlessly. With a top speed of 145 kilometers per hour, a lightweight design at 1200 kilograms, and an impressive range of 710 kilometers on a sunny day, Stella Terra exemplifies solar innovation.

Creating such a vehicle presents unique challenges. Traditional manufacturing processes, typically designed for mass production, prove costly and time-consuming for bespoke projects like this. This limitation highlights the pivotal role of 3D printing, especially in fabricating custom parts integral to the vehicle’s design and performance.

stella terra
Stella Terra Reveal (Photo Credit: STE/Bart van Overbeeke)

Revolutionary 3D Printing Partnership with INTAMSYS to Empower Student Innovators

In pursuit of unparalleled durability and strength for Stella Terra, Solar Team Eindhoven forged a strategic partnership with INTAMSYS, a globally renowned additive manufacturing company specializing in automotive applications. This collaboration extended beyond the provision of 3D printing equipment, software, and materials. INTAMSYS went the extra mile by offering comprehensive training to the students, empowering them with the skills to proficiently operate 3D printers.

Stella Terra Reveal
Stella Terra Reveal

Following these successful training sessions, the Solar Team Eindhoven seamlessly integrated INTAMSYS FUNMAT 3D Printers, into their workflow, complemented by INTAMSYS’ advanced slicing software, INTAMSUITE. This innovative software not only facilitates the preparation of CAD files for the printing phase but also enables the selection of printing materials. Such capabilities empower the students to visualize the outcome before initiating the printing process, adding a layer of precision and efficiency to their additive manufacturing endeavors. This collaboration with INTAMSYS combines cutting-edge technology with hands-on training to elevate the solar-powered car project to new heights.

Solar Team Eindhoven embraced INTAMSYS FUNMAT HT, a desktop FFF 3D Printer, and INTAMSUITE™ slicing software. The FUNMAT HT, capable of printing not only high-performance polymers like PEEK, but also all traditional engineering materials like PA, PC, ABS, and others, contributed to the rapid development of components crucial for Stella Terra’s success.

The training sessions at the STE office in Eindhoven

Key components, such as a side camera cover and attachments for the ventilation/heating system, were swiftly designed, and produced using INTAMSYS technology. The collaboration extended to the FUNMAT PRO 610HT, INTAMSYS’ large build volume printer, crafting Stella Terra’s front light housing with precision using PC-ABS. The printer’s sizable build capacity allows for the creation of large-scale parts tailored to diverse performance requirements. PC and PC-ABS, chosen for their high printing quality, mechanical strength, and heat resistance, cater to specific needs. PC excels in impact strength, while PC-ABS offers a refined surface finish and compatibility with metal plating. This thoughtful material selection ensures optimal functionality for Stella Terra’s components.

The Advantages of 3D Printing in Automotive Innovation

Integrating 3D printing, particularly through the partnership with INTAMSYS, presented a cost-effective and time-efficient solution compared to traditional mass production methods. Beyond economic and temporal benefits, 3D printing technology significantly enhances design flexibility, enabling customized designs. This capability, coupled with the potential to reduce vehicle weight while maintaining strength, exemplifies how 3D printing contributes to energy conservation in the automotive sector.

After its public debut in September, Stella Terra embarked on a transformative journey through diverse Moroccan landscapes, covering over a thousand kilometers without recharging. The ultimate test in the Sahara Desert showcased Stella Terra’s capability to pave the way for a sustainable future.

About Solar Team Eindhoven

Solar Team Eindhoven builds innovative, efficient cars powered by the sun. The team has won the World Solar Challenge in Australia four times in a row, competing in the family car class (Cruiser Class). With the Stellas, the team aims to demonstrate the potential for a sustainable future, encouraging individuals and companies to accelerate the energy transition.

New Wheel Package

Enhanced aerodynamics and kinematics improve the car's handling and speed, crucial for better track performance.
Carbon Rim and New Brake Caliper
Lighter and more durable, these components ensure superior control and reliability, enhancing overall performance and safety.
Carbon Rim and New Brake Caliper
The E0711-11 EVO includes 99 3D-printed parts, reducing weight and production costs, showcasing the team's commitment to advanced manufacturing.
Weight Reduction
High-performance polymers and 3D printing have reduced the EVO's weight by over half a kilo, enhancing speed and agility on the track.

After thorough research and benchmarking, WEERG chose INTAMSYS as their supplier. The INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO 410 met all their requirements with features like a heated chamber, dual heated nozzles, and a heated filament chamber.

INTAMSYS offered one single solution that got it all:

  • A robust printer with a sleek aesthetic finish, heated chamber, dual heated nozzles, and heated filament chamber.
  • Free and user-friendly software with incorporated printing settings (Click and Print experience) for a wide range of materials (from PA12-CF to PEEK).
  • Reliable support, and most importantly for WEERG, honesty and a true partnership.
WEERG also appreciated the user-friendly software with incorporated printing settings and the reliable support from INTAMSYS.

They went for INTAMSYS and received their FUNMAT PRO 610HT in June 2021. Since the purchase of the printer, they have printed many prototypes, some end-use parts, and from time to time jigs/fixtures and tooling parts.

As the printer has a high chamber temperature (up to 300°C), it also means that all temperatures in between are covered too. 4D Concepts has printed out parts of many plastic types; from PLA, ABS, PC, to PAEK, PEEK, PEI 9085/1010.

4D-Concepts-0222-2-1536x1301
4D-Concepts-0222-3-1024x938

4D Concepts – prototype of a temperature-resistant pulley made of glass-fiber reinforced PEEK (PEEK-GF).

 

We accompany our customers in a professional manner throughout the entire project - from planning and design to the prototype or the production of a complete series. Combining our 3D printing processes with conventional component processing, post-processing and surface refinement of the prototypes, small series or even a trade fair exhibit is our daily business. Since the company was founded in 1995, our experienced team in Gross-Gerau has made a name for itself well beyond the borders of the Rhine-Main area. We are one of the leading service providers for everything to do with 3D printing and have more than satisfied customers from a wide variety of industries - from the automotive and consumer goods industries to mechanical engineering and companies from the medical technology sector.

Alex Di Maglie
Managing Director,  4D Concepts

We were looking for printers that can print high-performance materials and run 24/7 on our production floor. INTAMSYS offered a robust printer, a nice aesthetic finish, and a true partnership.

Matteo
Founder & CEO, WEERG

Discover WEERG’s Journey with INTAMSYS’ Printers

The application of high-end filaments made of high-performance plastics such as PEI is not new to the field of 3D Printing. However, it requires both, a wide range of skills (materials and production) and the appropriate machinery.

Thanks to its large-format 3D printer from INTAMSYS, 4D Concepts can now process a wide range of high-end plastics with excellent thermal and mechanical properties for prototyping. Parts are out of PEI 9085.
 

圖片-1-200x175

The INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO 410 has been a performant and reliable tool since day one. It allows us to process high-performance polymers that enable our customers to innovate with them in highly loaded, thermally challenging, and metal replacement applications. It gives us the confidence that is needed to print 24/7 unattended with long print jobs of 100+ hours. It redefines what can be achieved with FDM technology.

Fabio Trotti
3D R&D Manager, WEERG

  • INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO 410

    3D PRINTER

    FUNMAT PRO 410

  • 图片3

    COST-EFFECTIVE

    Print Larger, Print More

  • 4D-Concepts-0222-3-1024x938

    OPEN

    Open-Sourced Filaments

Greent team

Click DOWNLOAD to Get the Full Customer Story

Our Solution

INTAMSYS has sponsored the GreenTeam with a FUNMAT HT 3D printer, INTAM™ filaments, and consultation services. The 3D printed parts from INTAMSYS are used in various subsystems of the car, including the battery system, braking system, and power electronics.

  • intamsys-funmat-ht

    3D PRINTER

    FUNMAT HT

  • intamsys-funmat-ht-printing

    COST EFFICIENCY

    Lower Cost, Shorter Lead Times

  • materials

    MATERIAL SUPERIORITY

    Versatile INTAM™ Polymers

Tank Holder

The tank holder is a new part in this year´s racing car. The part is printed on the FUNMAT PRO 610HT with the material choice of ABS. For the driverless disciplines, the team uses pressurized air to activate the brakes in an emergency. This year, they changed the concept of how pressurized air is stored, which required a new mounting solution. The tank holder is designed to solve this challenge.

Tank holder
Flap Ribs (2)

Flap Ribs

Other 3D printed parts, using the FUNMAT PRO 610HT and PC material, are the flap ribs that play a crucial role in the construction of the car’s side wing. These ribs are glued into the carbon-fiber shells and incorporate threaded inserts for attaching the wing to the chassis.

While the team has used these ribs for years, they have redesigned for this season to accommodate changes in the aerodynamic shape of the wings. Using INTAMSUITE™ NEO and the 3D printing technology, they conducted topology optimization to achieve the lightest possible geometry, resulting in an organic shape that would not be possible to manufacture by milling.


RELATED POSTS

  • Greent team
  • rennteam x0711-1-1024x478
  • rennteam reveals x0711-1

NEWS: INTAMSYS Continues to Sponsor Rennteam from University of Stuttgart in 2024

EXPLORE 3D PRINTING SOLUTIONS WITH OUR EXPERS