Customer Success Story: Dimensional Innovations Creates the World’s Tallest Freestanding 3D Printed Structure
Overland Park, Kansas – August 2022 – Dimensional Innovations created a monument for an NFL stadium and the result is the World’s tallest freestanding 3D printed structure. As a matter of fact, the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, home to the NFL’s Las
Vegas Raiders, is the epitome of modern comfort. The 1.8 million square foot, 65,000 seat behemoth
was inspired by futuristic luxury vehicles, and its overall impression is one of innovation and modernity.
Current team owner Mark Davis, however, wanted to bring along a bit of the past to the Raiders’ new
home. He envisioned a memorial to his late father and previous Raiders owner Al Davis that would
illustrate the scale of love his father had for his favorite NFL team.
Image Credit: Dimensional Innovations
That memorial is the Al Davis Memorial Torch, a gargantuan structure of a torch with a shimmering light
feature on top to simulate ever-burning flames. The sheer size of the nine-story-tall memorial made
manufacturing daunting for the vast majority of shops in the United States. Add in the strict parameters
set by the Raiders organization and Manica Architecture, the firm responsible for building the new
stadium, and the project became impossible for all but a handful. The memorial had to weigh under
250,000 pounds, be able to withstand heavy wind load, provide an exceptional reflective surface similar
to Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate in Chicago, adhere to exacting safety standards like being fireproof, and
stay true to the initial design – and it had a firm budget and timeline. Doing the impossible is what
Dimensional Innovations (DI) is known for, though.
About Dimensional Innovations
Founded in 1993, Dimensional Innovations has grown from a modest sign fabrication company into a full-service experience
design, technology, and build firm. Dimensins partners with professional and collegiate sports franchises,
entertainment giants, Fortune 500 companies and brands, and world-renowned hospitals to develop
engaging experiences within a built space.Few projects have testedDimensional Innovation’s ingenuity like the Al Davis
memorial, though. DI’s public relations and social media strategist Weston Owen recalled, “After
numerous approaches were considered and fell short of the Raiders’ stringent guidelines, we were
almost ready to walk away from the project. That’s when our team presented an almost unthinkable
solution.” Their solution was to 3D print the memorial and then use 5-axis machining to finish the parts,
which would allow them to achieve incredibly tight tolerances. In Owen’s words, the idea was “crazy, but
trailblazing if executed properly”. The concept was so trailblazing, in fact, that the finished piece would
become the tallest freestanding 3D printed structure in the entire world.
More Than Pressing Print
Dimensional Innovations purchased a 1020 Thermwood Large Scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM) twin gantry machine
specifically to make the memorial. The unit hosts a printhead on one side and a 5-axis router head on
the other. At the time, only two other entities in the United States owned the same style machine:
Boeing and the U.S. Department of Defense. It was designed to create single-use molds for the
aerospace industry, but Owen said, “In typical DI fashion, we used the printer for a drastically different
purpose. Because of this, months of trial-and-error were needed to program the printing software for
our desired outcome and ensure it could build the foundational blocks of the torch.”
Photo Credit: Dimensional Innovations
Creating the memorial over the course of three years, Dimensional Innovations collaborated with Bob D. Campbell & Company,
CMSC at Purdue University, Zahner, and UltraTech Aerospace. All lent substantial expertise to DI
throughout the R&D process to overcome numerous challenges, with great attention to detail. CNC
programmer at Dimensional Innovations Chris Lanio shared, “The basic structure of the tower is
essentially an hourglass, almost an elliptical shape. So, there are no two parts on it that are the same.”
Each piece is approximately four feet by five feet, and the base thickness of them is 6”. All the pieces are
made from polycarbonate with 20 percent carbon added by weight as a strengthening agent. “We’ve tried to do unfilled polymers in the past, but they just distort and warp. This carbon fiber gave us a very
aesthetically pleasing effect, with stripes that run parallel across the entire structure,” explained Lanio.
Using Mastercam to Build the Structure
The first step after the design and manufacturing plan were finalized was building the 3D printed
structure of the torch. The LSAM ran 24/7 to produce 226 blocks, each weighing about 350 pounds, and
5,580 printed layers. After being printed, each piece was machined on the 5-axis router side of the
machine to a tolerance of .005”. Lanio said, “With the LSAM, we could print a part, position the curtain
over, and the next day machine it in that exact spot.” No unwieldy work-handling, no extra man-hours;
just efficient manufacturing.
Photo Credit: Dimensional Innovations
When Dimensional Innovations purchased their LSAM, they were advised to use Mastercam CAD/CAM software to run its
subtractive manufacturing portion. The machine manufacturer has developed a C-hook add-on to
program the printer side of the machine that works flawlessly within this specific CAD/CAM system. To
maintain continuity, DI switched their 3-axis programmers to Mastercam as well. Luckily, the software
ended up making every step of cutting faster and easier. DI’s collaborative relationship with Mastercam
Reseller QTE Manufacturing Solutions also helped to streamline the process.
The Benefits of Mastercam
“Mastercam software is constantly evolving with yearly updates,” said Chris Lanio, CNC Programmer,
Dimensional Innovations, Overland Park, KS. “Jeff Kleinheider, Vice President of QTE continues to contact
me about every six months, just to check in and make sure we are happy with the service QTE provides
us. We appreciate this attention to customer service and the effort to build long term relationships with
their customers.”
Most of the parts were similar enough that tweaking existing files made more sense than programming
each part anew. Lanio’s CAD software made this easy. “I was able to store proven data, roll it back in, and
apply them to the geometry. It saved so much time in the long run on the programming aspect,” he said.
When editing models in the CAD portion of the software, Lanio relied on the Hole Axis feature to quickly
lay out geometry and add holes on multiple angles.
Multiaxis Flow Toolpath
The majority of the curved sections were machined with the Multiaxis Flow toolpath. Lanio continued,
“This allowed us to use a very large stepover with a 0.5-degree lead cutting with a 2” face mill.” His
multiaxis CAD/CAM software is designed to deliver the most efficient multiaxis roughing and finishing
toolpaths possible, so that users spend less time programming and more time turning out parts. One
such toolpath is 5-axis Swarf, which Lanio used to transition between faceted and smoothly curved faces.
“This toolpath allowed us to keep the tool perpendicular to the faceted floors while maintaining a sharp
corner for the aluminum plates clearance,” he said.
Photo Credit: Dimensional Innovations
By all means substantial amount of machining was done with traditional 3-axis milling as well, with operations like
pocketing and slotting, which the multiaxis CAD/CAM system was fully capable of supporting. To keep
everything organized, Lanio used the Planes function in his software. The Work Coordinate System
within the software uses a 3D Cartesian coordinate system to locate parts in the work space. The Planes
function helps users determine view angles, draw geometries, and associate tool angles to materials
within that coordinate system. “A lot of the parts had 30 or 40 facets on them. I created planes and then
imported the toolpaths to apply to each. It was a pretty smooth transition that let us keep working at a
good pace and get two parts per day off of the machine,” said Lanio.
Using the Mastercam Tool Library
The material itself was so abrasive that solid diamond inserts were needed for DI’s Sandvik tools to cut it.
“We have tools that are really specific for this machine, so I have all of those tools modeled in my library
and can import them in for different jobs,” said Lanio. The Mastercam Tool Library enables the import of
tool data from original tool manufacturers like Sandvik. Programmers can add their own notes on the
best toolpaths and motions to pair these tools with, as well as how well they run on each machine. “It
has great cutting strategies stored for these different insert headers.”
After everything had been designed and coded for machining, Lanio then checked and re-checked his
program. “It helps to have an actual G-code simulation system, because then I can just output these tool
files and part files to our verification software.” Vericut simulation software lends additional strength to
the in-system verification functions in Lanio’s CAD/CAM system. The verification add-on confirms
toolpath accuracy and dimensional measurements so that what a programmer sees onscreen is exactly
what will unfold on the machine.
Dimensional Innovations’ Finishing Touches
Once each part was carefully created and inspected, the layers were put together carefully to ensure
a seamless fit. Dimensional Innovations even engineered and programmed a robot specifically designed to apply a protective
ceramic coating to the exterior aluminum panels. Owen said, “This reflective veneer made the torch look
uniform and whole, even though it was composed of nearly 1,200 individual panels.” The assembled
pieces were then shipped to Allegiant Stadium for final assembly of the whole monument. Not including
the upfront R&D that was initially required, the project took about 16 months and over 50,000-man
hours to create. “It was – no pun intended – a monumental effort,” said Owen. “It’s our crown jewel at
DI because of the sheer feel of it and how we did something in a way no one ever has.”
Lanio agreed. “There were so many great people working on it from design to engineering to assembly.
We definitely had some doubts, some nervous nights, even some failures where we had to scrap
something and try again, but the beauty of it is that we all kept hammering at it,” he said. “There was so
much ingenuity and mutual respect in those situations where we were all bouncing ideas off of each
other to create the highest quality product possible.”
Creating remarkable experiences that tell a brand’s story in an authentic, effective, and unique way is
Dimensional Innovation’s passion. Their team takes innovation seriously and isn’t afraid to turn “never been done before” into
the new normal.
About QTE Manufacturing Solutions
At QTE Manufacturing Solutions, we serve CNC manufacturers in Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Before we make a software recommendation, our experts will get to know your current equipment and expectations. Based on our analysis, we will make recommendations that will eliminate problems and advance your business.
But that’s just the beginning. Our customers have access to our support team so they always know how to use the software. Our solutions offer CAM software licenses and all-inclusive training packages to help put users on a fast track to becoming more competitive. We also sponsor various local events where our customers can learn about aspects of Mastercam. We invite you to join our Online network and community, where you will have access to the Mastercam Forum, Reseller support, EMastercam, Titans of CNC, and more.
QTE is a leading Mastercam CAD/CAM solutions and Verisurf Metrology solutions software reseller focused on helping CNC manufacturers solve challenges and optimize machining operations. Our job is to help you master yours. This way you can produce more parts and open new growth opportunities, by reducing CAD/CAM programming, and inspection time. To learn more about how we can help optimize your CNC machines, call QTE today at 877-429-5708. Click here to set up a call to discuss a quote.
