The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics concluded just over a week ago, and it’s now been revealed that the Chinese short track speed skating team leveraged 3D printing to secure their two gold medals. Back in early 2021, China-based 3D printer manufacturer Farsoon signed an agreement with the Chinese Olympic Committee to develop additively manufactured ice skating blades for the racers. Boasting weight savings of around 20% when compared to conventional skate blades, the 3D printed parts helped the Chinese short track speed skaters take pole position in the 500m race. “Farsoon’s 3D printed skate blades showcased better flexibility in use due to the reduced weight, which offers smoother and better ice grip at cornering and sharp turns,” said a member of the short track speed team. To kick the project off, the Farsoon R&D team conducted a set of skate tests to collect data relating to each of the skaters. Farsoon then used this data to design customized, topologically-optimized skate blades based on the force profiles of each of the skaters. Featured image shows the Chinese short track speed skating team taking gold.
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