Innovative 3D printed GPS tracker for use in horse racing

Coursetrack’s GPS tracker measures horse speed, distance, stride length and acceleration metrics in real-time.

Job Information

Customer Info/Context

Coursetrack set out to enhance the Horse Racing experience for spectators, racing enthusiasts and commentators alike. Through an innovative real-time tracking product, the company aims to supply Jockeys, Owners, Trainers, Regulators, Bookmakers and Racegoer with this low-latency, reliable data to provide a scientific evaluation of a horses performance and leading to an enhanced user experience. Ultimately this adds to the excitement and thrill of Horse Racing, contributing to growth of the sport.

Issue / Challenge

Dave from Coursetrack approached us to create a PCB case for his tracking devices. 

Coursetrack is an electronic tracking device that fits within the racecloth worn by racehorses. The trackers transmit precision data through a secure connection directly to the Network Operations Centre off course. This provides valuable information to the Owners, Trainers, Regulators, Bookmakers and Racegoers.

Coursetrack had developed the electronics and tracking systems to be used within the case, and required a design and manufacturing service to enclose and protect the electronics during horse racing. The case needed to be fully branded, sleek and lightweight, whilst being strong enough to withstand any drops or damage during the race.

3D People’s Solution

3D People was able to design and manufacture a snap-fit PCB enclosure that was fit-for-purpose. It was able to house the Coursetrack electronics using SLS Technology with a vibro-polishing finish, making it suitable for the outdoor, demanding environment.

Metric threaded inserts were used in conjunction with the snap-fit joint to make a secure and repeatable fastening that would be able to maintain its structural integrity whilst in the field.

Over the course of the first 600 units, the PCB design was modified iteratively as Coursetrack continued to test and improve their product offering. They were able to improve the electronics tracking, battery life and available tracking metrics, but this also meant that an evolving design was required to keep up with the fast-pace of technological improvements.

We were able to offer Coursetrack rapid design modifications and manufacturing in just a few days, whilst maintaining the competitive unit cost for the product. 

This agile manufacturing plan allowed Coursetrack to bring a product to market, test it and feedback information to optimize the next iteration, ultimately lowering their business risk. No investment was required in upfront tooling, and the smaller batch runs for this project also meant that it was the cheapest manufacturing method for this type of product.

The Business Case - Why Additive Manufacturing?

A plastic product like the Courestrack system would be commonly manufactured using injection moulding. However, this type of manufacturing does not afford the flexibility desired to modify or change the layout of a product (such as increasing the battery size) based on rigorous real-world testing.

1. No additional cost to manufacture design iterations - The use of 3D printing requires no startup tooling to begin batch manufacturing - design changes and design complexity are free, the only cost is the volume of material required to manufacture the part. This lends itself well to a product that requires further improvements or iterations.

2. Lightweight, fully-branded product - The Coursetrack product developed was lightweight, fully bespoke and branded accordingly. The snap-fit joint worked perfectly and the product could fit easily into the racecloth of horses on race day.

3. Low unit cost and rapid manufacture of 600 units - The cost to manufacture this product using PA12 Nylon (SLS) in a small batch run is significantly less than injection moulding or CNC machining. In addition to this, the manufacturing lead time with SLS technology is as short as 2-4 working days.  were able to work with Coursetrack to deliver a very competitive unit cost in the shortest manufacturing lead time, allowing them to focus on winning new business and distributing their product across the UK.
   
   

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