Cantilevered Coaster Concept Model

I found this paragraph in the Cantilever Coaster article to be really interesting to me:

I’ve tried creating virtual models several times using the help of friends who are proficient in different 3D software systems. Unfortunately by its nature the CRC has some complex interdependent kinetic relationships that make it difficult (and therefore expensive!) to model. Previous attempts have utilized 3D Studio, Maya, and other software platforms, none of which have yielded a really useful model containing the interdependent characteristics that the system requires. The funny part is that every time someone has started to try and model it, they’ve insisted at the start that they’d be able to pull it off, and that they understood everything about the mechanical nature of the CRC system. Instead, each time they ended up tired and frustrated realizing that the system was much more complex than they’d expected, and that the chosen program was inadequate to do the job.

My current job is that of a CAD engineer so I decided that CATIA and I were up to the challenge.

Keep in mind that this design was based on some of the original patent illustrations which are more than ten years old. The concept has undergone design changes since then to improve performance and make it easier to manufacture. I will incorporate these improvements on future versions of the model. The next step is to simulate the model. Stay tuned!

Share