3D Printed Titanium tent stake from Teragon-Gear

OK, so it is light weight and high tech – got it.  How is the holding power relative to a Mini Groundhog stake?  Do you have any test data on that?

Unclear why 3D printing would be better than working with regular sheets of Ti… ???  Suspect it’s just marketing pizazz….

And just how would you 3d print Ti anyway??? Special kind of printer that can smelt the hot metal???  Hmmm….

What is really revolutionary is charging $25 for a single tent stake.

tough crowd here : )

it seems like 3D printing would be better for some complicated shape.  For a tent stake that’s linear, then a simpler machine would work better.

There is an adage in the tech world “sell solutions, not technology”. So, if this new stake had twice the holding power as a Mini Groundhog and weighed ½ as much, there is value there. 3D Printing of titanium is only good if it solves a problem or unmet need. See, 3D printing allows you to make complex parts – no doubt. But how is this product better than existing solutions? That is the $64k questions.

I wonder how many people would want to pay $150-$200 for a set of stakes in order to save less than an ounce total.

As a side note, 3D-printed sintered metal objects generally have reduced mechanical properties (tensile strength, toughness, etc.) compared to those of the monolithic metal. One would need to consider this when calculating strength-to-weight ratios, etc. And empirical testing would really be necessary, IMO.

I admire the ability to 3D print titanium. that is interesting.
But $25 EACH?
In my humble experience, Ti wires hold just as well, and are a bit more affordable.

Cheers

As to how it is done: laser sintering of fine powder with a powerful CO2 laser. Expensive stuff, expensive process.

Cheers

Thanks for the comments and questions so far.

– Our internal testing shows a 20 – 40% increase in holding power compared to a typical aluminium Y-stake (like the MSR mini Groundhog) But this is very much dependent on the soil condition and the way the test is performed. We hope to get an external test done soon.

– 3D metal printing is not a new or untested production method. It is well established but has until now primarily been reserved for very high tech applications. Material properties are also fully comparable to conventional made titanium.

– We fully understand the reactions to the price. Production cost is our biggest challenge, but we are working hard to lower the price. It was a tough decision to go ahead with our product launch at this price level and it has been a rough start for sure. The hope is that we can get the product out there in a limited volume to at least show its potential.

it looks like the surface of the stake has a texture – the printing, diagonal lines, and the 3D print surface

maybe that would make it hold better in the soil