3D Design Software from Dassault Systèmes pushes Bobsled Top Speeds to New heights

In the run-up to the Winter Olympics of 2010 in Vancouver, the Bo-Dyn Bobsled project Inc. saw the minds of Geoff Bodine and Bob Cuneo come together to create something incredible in bobsleigh design. What Bodine’s team created is a testament to the power of 3D modeling software. Enter the world of Dassault Systèmes’ proprietary SOLIDWORKS and its 3DEXPERIENCE software. Needing an edge, a bobsled to outperform at the games in 2010, the Bob Cuneo aptly named this bobsled “The Night Train”. 

Fast forward to Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, the team now faced the added challenges of uphill sections in the track that now demanded the bobsled be more agile and maneuverable. Using the SOLIDWORKS, Geoff and Bob were able to precisely engineer the new and improved “Night Train 2”. This software allowed them to create and test many 3D prototypes, which helped them to finally perfect their design. 

Incorporating lighter materials, and extensive testing through multiple iterations of prototypes, BoDyn were able to create a bobsled capable of reaching previously unseen speeds. SOLIDWORKS was truly an integral part of the design process, allowing the team to create the ideal design before even beginning to build it. 

With the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing just around the corner, the ever-growing role of software and technology in the world of design and manufacturing is something that can not be ignored. It will be interesting to see how design processes develop and watch as technology drives athletes past the limits of what we previously thought possible.