INSA Lyon Students Innovate with Aluminium Powder from Constellium

C-TEC, Constellium’s primary R&D center, provided aluminium powder for 3D printing to the students of INSA Lyon, a leading French engineering school. Using this powder, the students successfully created an ambitious prototype: a rocket system with an integrated brake caliper and adapted wheel, produced through 3D printing with Aheadd® CP1.

In the summer of 2024, INSA students visited C-TEC to demonstrate their prototype, which has competed in the Shell Eco-marathon. This renowned event is one of the world’s leading energy-efficiency engineering programs for students. It aims to push the boundaries of what is technically possible and inspire young people to become leading scientists and engineers of future energy solutions. In concrete, it challenges students to achieve the highest possible mileage from the equivalent of one liter of fuel. The Proto INSA Club team won the Technical Innovation Award and achieved a remarkable performance of 674 km per kWh.

Collaborating with Cetim (Technical Center for Mechanical Industries), the team redesigned critical parts to be lighter and stronger using AI and topological optimization. This innovative process ensured high precision and quality in the parts produced.

This project showcases how educational initiatives can drive innovation, with aluminium powder proving to be an exceptional material. Such collaborations provide students with the resources needed to push the boundaries of modern engineering, highlighting the potential for future technological advancements.

Some very interesting videos (in French) are available on LinkedIn and give more details about the project and the prototype: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4