Case Study: Silverstone Composites Ltd. achieves rapid, easily extracted internal mandrel tooling with Stratasys Neo450s stereolithography

Silverstone Composites and Mackart Additive Drive Innovation to Create Unique Solutions Using Stratasys Neo450s

Silverstone Composites Ltd., a UK specialist in bespoke carbon-fiber components for motorsport and Formula One, faced a challenge producing composite pipes because traditional internal mandrel tooling (e.g., aluminium) could not be extracted and each tool required up to an hour of manual post‑processing. Working with Mackart Additive, they adopted Stratasys stereolithography technology—specifically the Stratasys Neo450s 3D printer and Somos® DMX SL-100 material—to meet the part’s strict temperature, pressure and surface‑finish requirements.

Mackart Additive used the Stratasys Neo450s and Somos® DMX SL-100 to develop a repeatable, dry‑removal mandrel production process that yields industrial‑grade surface finish and enables extraction after autoclave curing—the only UK supply solution of its kind. The Stratasys‑based solution reduced post‑processing by up to one hour per tool, nearly eliminated manual handling, enabled on‑demand delivery for Formula One customers, and delivered reliable, repeatable part quality.

Silverstone Composites Ltd.

Marcus Trofimov

Founder and Managing Director