Case Study: Sandia National Laboratories achieves first-time 8-day wind turbine blade tip print success with Stratasys Fortus FDC and F900

Sandia National Laboratories prints 8-day wind turbine blade tip on the first try with Stratasys

Sandia National Laboratories, a federally funded research and development center, faced the challenge of 3D printing a large wind turbine blade tip. The eight-day build required multiple material changeovers, which introduced defects and risked costly failures on previous attempts. They enlisted vendor Stratasys to help stabilize this critical manufacturing process.

Stratasys implemented a solution using their Fortus FDC material delivery and drying cabinet paired with an F900 3D printer. This system reduced material changeovers from seven to just two during the build, which eliminated transition-related defects and provided greater material stability. As a result, Stratasys enabled Sandia to successfully print the part on the first attempt, eliminating the cost and risk of an eight-day reprint.

Sandia National Laboratories