Etteplan web news June 19, 2019
Etteplan has received a patent for its invention created through 3D printing (additive manufacturing), which is a motorcycle seat equipped with a moving mechanism and its manufacturing method. The invention has already been applied to the seat of competitive motorcycle driver Ulla Kulju’s racing motorcycle. In addition to racing, Ulla works as a Senior Design Engineer at Etteplan.
The seat slides from side to side in line with the driver’s movements, assisting the driver in weight transfer at bends. The seat also moves backwards, enabling the driver to be located behind the visor, which reduces wind resistance and improves speed.
The invention enables paraplegic drivers to shift their weight in a way that has not been possible to date. It also offers concrete benefits for racers: Ulla’s lap time improved by 6 seconds at Alastaro Circuit in southern Finland.
“At the core of the invention is a complex moving mechanism that can only be manufactured using 3D printing. The mechanism is printed as one piece and cannot be disassembled. 3D printing allowed us to develop an entirely new type of solution, which is not possible using traditional manufacturing methods,” says Tero Hämeenaho, Etteplan’s Department Manager, Additive Manufacturing.
Additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing, are umbrella terms for the technology through which items are manufactured layer by layer using materials such as plastic or metal
For more information, please contact:
Tero Hämeenaho, Department Manager, Additive Manufacturing, Etteplan tel. +358 10 307 2757
Outi Torniainen, SVP, Marketing and Communications, Etteplan, tel. +358 10 307 3302
Link to the patent: https://patent.prh.fi/patdocs/certificate.jsp?app=20185070
Etteplan in brief
Etteplan provides solutions for industrial equipment and plant engineering, software and embedded solutions, and technical documentation solutions to the world’s leading companies in the manufacturing industry. Our services are geared to improve the competitiveness of our customers’ products, services and engineering processes throughout the product life cycle. The results of Etteplan’s innovative engineering can be seen in numerous industrial solutions and everyday products.
In 2018, Etteplan had a turnover of approximately EUR 236 million. The company currently has some 3,300 professionals in Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and China. Etteplan's shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd under the ETTE ticker. www.etteplan.com