How Slant 3D Created Golf Tee Markers for the Zurich Classic with Production 3D Printing

Back in the beginning of April, Slant 3D was approached by Natureworks to do custom Golf Course hole markers for the Zurich Classic in Louisiana.  The idea was to have two block tee markers with the Zurich Classic logo at the beginning of each hole so that when the event was broadcasted on television, the Zurich Classic logo would be seen everywhere.  

When Natureworks reached out to us the Zurich Classic golf tournament was only a month away. This is why they looked into mass 3D printing the marker cubes with Slant 3D to ensure that they would be finished in time for the tournament and made affordably. There was no time for delays or mistakes in the manufacturing process. Slant 3D worked with Natureworks to design a 3D model of the hole marker and finalize a design.  Natureworks was able to see exactly what the final product was and what it would look like without having the physical partl.  Once the 3D model was approved, Slant 3D manufactured, assembled, processed, and shipped more than 1,000 parts within 2 weeks.  A project that would have taken 30 weeks worth of print time was able to be completed in just under 14 days using the largest print farm in the world.

This would have been impossible with traditional processes. Using Injection molding the cost alone would have been 10-20x the cost of 3D Printing, if it could be done with such a large part at all. But the lead time would have also been 6-12 months.

We were super excited to work with Natureworks using their environmentally conscious material Ingeo.  Ingo is a sustainably produced biopolymer with a small carbon footprint produced by Natureworks. Natureworks uses plants like corn and beets to transform greenhouse gases into long-chain sugar molecules, which are then fermented into lactic acid and used to create the material Ingeo.  This process of making this specific type of PLA is only the beginning. Everyday the 3D printing industry is becoming more and more environmentally conscious and Slant 3D is happy to be a part of it.

​Working with Naturworks and the Zurich Classic was a great project to work on and a great testament to how quickly and effectively we can deliver on a major time crunch.  It also was an added bonus to see the products we manufactured on live television.  If you have a project you would like to get quoted for contact us today to see how we can produce your product.