APWORKS Provides Metal 3D Printing for Oracle’s America’s Cup 2017 Bid

APWORKS, an AM research company part of the Airbus group, produced a lightweight high-performance part for ORACLE Team USA with additive manufacturing. The part is on display at the new Mariners’ Museum exhibition which opens the America’s Cup.

The new exhibition of The Mariners’ Museum in Virginia opened its doors on time with the start of the 35th America’s Cup. Its focus: The America’s Cup history, exciting races and technological advances. One of the innovations which is on display focuses on additive manufacturing. APWORKS produced a lightweight forward organizer out of high strength alloy Scalmalloy by Additive Printing, which can be seen in the long-term exhibit from now onwards.

The forward organizer is part of the system to control the wing. It is a highly complex part as it combines various functions into one, which makes it time-consuming in machining. APWORKS realized the production of the geometry in a few days compared to weeks with conventional machining, finally resulting in reduced costs. The forward organizer was designed for Additive Manufacturing and produced out of Scalmalloy, a high strength aluminum alloy specifically developed for 3D printing by APWORKS.

Weight is a key parameter for these highly competitive boats that go up to nearly 50 knots (93kph). As such Scalmalloy was another success factor for the forward organizer as it combines light weight with high strength. The result was a product that weighs 57% less than the conventional part.

Being on the edge of technological innovation, the 3D printed forward organizer is on display at the “Speed and Innovation” exhibition about the America’s Cup. The America’s Cup is the world’s premier yachting race, a high-stakes “win-at-all-costs” international sailing competition. As the world’s oldest international sporting competition, predating modern Olympics, the world’s best sailors and most advanced boats have competed for the coveted silver trophy since 1851.

The Mariners’ Museum and Park, host of the exhibition is located in Virginia, United States and is one of the largest maritime museums in North America. A steward of one of the world’s most extensive maritime collections, The Mariners’ Museum and Park is committed to the preservation and conservation of more than 32,000 objects and several million library and archive materials.