Case Study: Solarlytics achieves rapid, low-cost production of complex solar panel test rigs with MakerBot METHOD

Advancing Solar Technology With the Help of 3d Printing

Solarlytics, a five-year-old solar technology startup in Livermore, California, needed a better way to load and test oddly shaped, heavy (80+ lb) solar panels without risking damage or requiring multiple people and large test areas. Early attempts with cheap desktop printers couldn’t meet tight tolerances and iterative needs, and outsourcing parts could cost up to $10,000—so Solarlytics turned to the MakerBot METHOD platform (including METHOD X) to produce optimized testing rigs.

Using MakerBot METHOD and METHOD X with MakerBot ASA material and SR-30 soluble supports, Solarlytics designed and printed a single, complex wheel clamp assembly with internal bearings and pivots that a single person can roll onto a flash test machine, protecting panels and saving space. The solution produced a part in about 48 hours at $83 (METHOD in-house: $83 and ~2 days) versus outsourced machining at $10,000 and ~20 days, delivering faster iterations, lower cost, and improved testing ergonomics—thanks to MakerBot’s printing capabilities.

Solarlytics

Doug Raymond

Engineer and Co-founder