What does 3D printing and golf have in common? If you’re TaylorMade and pro golfer Mark O’Meara you can equate it with success affecting both game performance and sales performance.
When TaylorMade was looking to produce a new set of irons, they turned to O’Meara and 3D printing. While the story is not recent, it is relevant as to the beneficial use of 3D printing.
O’Meara was getting ready for the 1998 Skins Game and asked TaylorMade to have the irons ready in time for him to use during the tournament. TaylorMade had limited time to test and develop its new set of clubs, but because of the availability and expediency of 3D printing, they were able to create 50 wax patterns on a 3D printer, which were then sent to a foundry for casting and finishing.
The end result: The prototype of the Firesole Tour Irons were developed on time using 3D printing, which also provided for tremendous cost-savings, and of course, O’Meara won the Skins Game.
While not every manufacturer has a pro golfer at their disposal to test new products, it does have access to 3D printing technology that can assist its design engineers throughout the product development process.
3D Printing has provided innovative solutions to companies like TaylorMade, but also has been utilized for manufacturers who develop medical equipment for people with disabilities, and 3D printing has also assisted EOIR technologies with the development of a camera mount for the M1 tank and Bradley fighting vehicle.
From the frontline to the golf course, 3D printing technology takes the guesswork out of prototype development to ensure a product’s performance under all stressful conditions.