Farsoon Technologies sculpture inspired by Stark Future electric motorbike was designed to demonstrate AM capabilities.
For all the talk about the importance of education in 3D printing and the need to win engineering hearts and (more importantly) minds, success in additive manufacturing (AM) is ultimately a numbers game. The more parts that are 3D printed, the better the prospects for the AM industry as a whole.
Nowhere is that more readily apparent than in China, which has been pursuing leadership in 3D printing technology for quite some time. The fruits of those efforts are starting to be realized at the desktop-level in the growth of companies such as Bambu Lab, and at the industrial-level with examples such as Farsoon Technologies, which has been expanding in both its material and production capabilities.
Now, Farsoon has announced the completion of the so-called KLINGA project with the Spanish electric motorcycle company, Stark Future, which reportedly resulted in the production of more than 1,000 3D printed titanium parts. According to Farsoon, the KLINGA Sabre for which the project is named is, “an engineering sculpture inspired by Stark Future’s electric motocross bike VARG.”
“The KLINGA Project was a bold way for us to push boundaries—not just in design, but in manufacturing,” said Benjamin Cobb, director of brand communications at Stark Future in a Farsoon press release. “Partnering with Farsoon allowed us to turn an ambitious idea into a titanium reality. It’s proof that large-scale, high-precision metal additive manufacturing is ready for serial production. It also validated our belief that 3D printing can deliver performance, quality, and sustainability—all at once.”
It’s a shame the result of the project is essentially an extra-fancy piece of 3D printed swag (the moose at the top is a functional bottle opener) rather than an actual end-use component for Stark Future because the numbers are impressive:
“In a single 248-hour build, 188 KLINGA sabres were produced with an average build time of under 80 minutes per unit,” reads the same realease. “Notably, the same production quality and workflow can be replicated on the FS721M platform currently operated by Stark Future.”
Hopefully, we’ll hear more about how Stark Future is using the FS721M in the production of its motorbikes. Still, if you do need to convince someone of the capabilities of metal AM, handing them a slick sculpture like the KLINGA Sabre and prompting them to crack open a cold one with it isn’t a bad way to go.
