PPI and Technolgy: Stratasys, Inc., a rapid prototyping equipment manufacturer based in Minneapolis, MN, has joined PPI Motorsports as a key partner in the NASCAR Winston Cup team’s progressive engineering program. Stratasys makes rapid prototyping equipment that builds solid models directly from three-dimensional CAD (computer aided drawing) files. The company’s patented fused deposition modeling (FDM®) technology is used at PPI Motorsports to create highly accurate plastic prototypes that can be tested, analyzed and improved by the team’s design group before the fabrication process begins. This season, PPI Motorsports began designing and building its own race cars for NASCAR Winston Cup competition. As part of this undertaking, the engineering group utilizes a Stratasys FDM 3000® system to develop components – from small parts to larger assembled pieces – for its in-house fleet(PPI Motorsports Site)(5-20-2001)
