Case Study: University of Wollongong achieves faster prototyping and significant cost savings with Stratasys 3D printing

3D Printing Helps Students Build Race Car for International Competition

University of Wollongong students competing in the international Formula‑SAE program needed faster, cheaper ways to prototype and produce complex race‑car parts to gain a competitive edge. To meet that challenge, the University of Wollongong installed two 3D printers from Stratasys in 2011 to accelerate design iteration and enable parts that were difficult to fabricate with traditional methods.

Stratasys’ 3D printing solution cut prototype turnaround from two–three weeks to about three days, saved the team thousands of dollars in development costs, and allowed accurate, complex components (for example, a new manifold) to be printed and installed on the car. By speeding iteration and reducing cost, Stratasys helped the team experiment more broadly, improve design accuracy, and sharpen their competitive performance.

University of Wollongong

Nathan Tarlinton

Formula-SAE Team Leader