Gnar! Italian 3D printer manufacturer Roboze built what they say is the first fully 3D printed skateboard.
The skateboard was completely realized through FFF 3D printing technology and used high-temperature polymers and composite materials to ensure the result was light-weight yet high-resistance.
Roboze worked with Impact Surf Shop of Bari, Italy, to develop its sick board.
The project was developed to showcase the capabilities of its materials which the company claims “print strong like metal.”
To test out the 3D printed skateboard, Roboze contacted professional Italian skateboarder, Fabiano Lauciello.
“I have been a skater for 30 years,” he said. “I’d say the result is absolutely great. I think that in the future, I could use a 3D printed skate with no problems.”
3D Printing a Skateboard
The Roboze website explains that materials used to create the skateboard included Carbon PA, PP, PEEK, and Flex. Carbon PA was used for both the base of the skateboard and the board itself.
Roboze explains in a blog post that it is “one of the strongest and mechanically performing materials in the FFF 3D printing field, ideal for the reduction of weights through the replacement of metals or for the safety through the impact absorption.”
For the wheels, Roboze used PP (polypropylene). This polymer is regularly used to create automotive components. It promises high resistance to impact and wear.
PEEK was used for washers and nuts. Roboze explains that this is a semi-crystalline thermoplastic polymer. It is “technologically advanced” as it combines mechanical properties with “medium-low elastic modulus”. Bearings were made from Flex which is a rubber compound based on thermoplastic polyurethane.
Source: Roboze
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