The design and manufacture of a modern golf putter head provides an excellent example of a complete, integrated design and manufacturing process. Integrated engineering practices, and corresponding new technologies, can greatly reduce the time and cost necessary to go from design inception to final manufacturing. In this project, the ability to 3D model the design allowed the effect of small changes in dimension to be analyzed quickly and accurately. Finite element analysis (FEA) was utilized with the 3D model in order to calculate and refine the strength characteristics of the design. Similarly, rapid prototyping technology permitted a physical model to be made for inspection quickly and relatively cheaply and provided molds to be investment cast in the manufacturing stage. In summary, the key elements of this project were the use of 3D modeling and rapid prototyping technologies and the integration of these elements to design and manufacture a golf putter head quickly, accurately and inexpensively.
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