3D Printing Materials Empower Robotics Innovation, Stepping from Design Verification to Arena Application
In the arena of competitive robotics, speed, precision, and reliability dictate the outcome of every match. With the evolution of 3D printing technology, high-performance printing materials are increasingly integrated into actual robot development, helping teams rapidly complete design verification, structural optimization, and component manufacturing.
RoboMaster, launched by DJI, is a prestigious national university robotics competition in China. It imposes exceptionally high demands on robotic structural design, control systems, material performance, and engineering practices.
From May 26 to June 2, 2026, the Northern Regional Competition of the 2026 RoboMaster University Championship was held at the Nanhu Campus of Northeastern University. Amid intense competition, the SuperPower Team from Tongji University delivered an outstanding performance, successfully breaking into the regional top eight and locking in their spot for the National Finals!
Throughout the preparation and competition phases, Kexcelled provided the team with an array of 3D printing materials. Notably, THE K5™ PLA and THE K8™ TPU 95A materials were widely applied in manufacturing critical functional components for the robots, offering a rock-solid guarantee for R&D, debugging, and high-intensity match play.
Demonstrating superb engineering prowess and tactical coordination, the Tongji University SuperPower Team saw core metrics across multiple robots top the leaderboard:
- Ranked 1st in Group B Leaderboard
- Ranked 1st in Average Critical Damage per Match for the Hero Robot (1,659)
- Ranked 1st in Average Assembly Economy per Match for the Engineer Robot
- Ranked 1st in Average Total Damage per Match for the Sentry Robot
Core Application Scenarios and High-Performance Material Solutions
Faced with high-intensity combat environments and a fast-paced iterative R&D cycle, Kexcelled engineers customized precise material solutions tailored to the actual working conditions of different components.
Solution 1: THE K5™ PLA — A Perfect Balance of Rigidity and Impact Resistance
Application Scenario 1: Teach Pendant Remote Controller for the Engineer Robot
The Engineer robot shoulders critical missions such as resource acquisition and base construction. To boost the debugging efficiency of the robotic arm, the team designed an all-3D-printed teach pendant remote controller for motion recording and control.
Application Results: While maintaining excellent printability and dimensional stability, THE K5™ PLA exhibits an elongation at break of 10–15% and an unnotched impact strength of 19–23 kJ/m². Balancing structural rigidity with superb impact resistance, it robustly meets the reliability and durability requirements for functional parts during robot development.
- Meets High-Frequency Operational Needs, Enhancing Reliability: The teach pendant requires prolonged repetitive operations of buttons and joysticks. Thanks to the material’s excellent ductility and impact resistance, the printed parts withstand frequent usage, minimizing the risk of structural cracking or damage.
- Dimensional Stability Ensures Assembly Precision: The material boasts high printing accuracy and dimensional stability, ensuring tight tolerances for buttons, joysticks, and internal mechanisms. This reduces post-processing work and increases assembly efficiency as well as control response consistency.
- Supports Rapid Iteration, Accelerating Development Cycles: During development, the team could swiftly optimize structures and remanufacture components based on debugging needs, shortening verification cycles and boosting the iterative efficiency of the robotic arm's control schemes.
- Adapts to Training and Arena Environments, Guaranteeing Stable Operation: Throughout frequent transportation, on-site debugging, and back-to-back matches, the printed components maintained consistent performance, providing dependable support for the arm's control system under demanding tournament conditions.
Application Scenario 2: Protective Enclosure for Circuit Board Mounting Modules
The circuit board mounting module inside the chassis serves as the core of the control system, but it is highly vulnerable to projectile impacts during high-speed combat.
Application Results: The protective enclosure printed with THE K5™ PLA strikes an optimal balance between lightweight design and structural rigidity. While effectively deflecting projectile strikes and shielding electronic components, the team leveraged the rapid prototyping advantage of 3D printing to execute timely customizations and swift on-site replacements according to structural tweaks of the chassis.
- Effectively Deflects Projectile Impacts, Boosting Critical Component Protection: The enclosure shields the circuit board mounting module, lowering the risk of electronic components being directly hit by projectiles during matches, thereby securing the stable operation of the control system.
- Ensures Installation Precision, Improving Assembly Reliability: The material's excellent dimensional stability allows the printed parts to precisely match the circuit boards and mounting structures, reducing assembly errors and enhancing overall installation reliability.
- Lightweight Design with Uncompromised Protection: Utilizing 3D printing enables tailored, lightweight structural designs that guarantee robust defense while minimizing component weight, reducing any adverse impact on the robot’s overall agility.
- Supports Rapid Manufacturing and On-Site Replacement: Capitalizing on rapid 3D printing prototyping, the team could quickly manufacture and swap enclosures following robot modifications, shortening maintenance windows and maximizing tournament support efficiency.
Solution 2: THE K8™ TPU 95A — An Excellent Choice for Flexible Cushioning and Wear Resistance
Application Scenario 3: Video Transmission Module Protective Sleeve
The video transmission module is responsible for streaming real-time images and video feeds, routinely facing collisions, friction, and external pulling forces during matches.
Application Results: THE K8™ TPU 95A maintains high rigidity while retaining elasticity, fully absorbing impact shocks from training and matches. Its superior flexibility effectively dampens vibration transfer, preventing interface loosening and ensuring the stable transmission of high-definition signals.
- Cushions External Shocks, Lowering Interface Damage Risks: The flexible nature of the TPU material absorbs impact energy during training, transport, and matches, delivering continuous protection to the video transmission module and reducing failure rates.
- Enhances Connection Stability, Securing Signal Transmission: The excellent flexibility of the material dampens vibration propagation, mitigating the risk of loosened connectors and elevating the connection stability of the transmission module.
- Customized Design, Improving Installation Adaptability: Tailored 3D-printed designs ensure a flawless fit between the printed parts and the robot structure, without hindering module installation or routine maintenance.
- Meets Tournament Performance Demands, Ensuring Stable Operation: The protective sleeve adapts seamlessly to training and competition environments, providing long-term, reliable defense for the video transmission module to bolster the robot's runtime stability.
Application Scenario 4: Joint Motor Interface Protective Shell
The robot's joint motor interfaces route a massive array of power, signal, and communication cables, which remain exposed to moving parts during training and matches.
Application Results: Leveraging an extremely high elongation at break and exceptional wear resistance, the TPU material mitigates the fatigue stress caused by repetitive bending through its own elastic deformation, lowering the risks of cable breakage and connector loosening. The customized structural design not only maximizes internal chassis space utilization but also continuously guarantees the reliability of the entire system under the harsh working conditions of high-frequency wiring movement.
- Mitigates Fatigue Stress from Repetitive Bending, Lowering Cable Breakage Risks: The TPU material absorbs stress through self-deformation, reducing stress concentration and extending the lifespan of cables under high-frequency movement conditions.
- Dampens the Impact of Vibration and Collisions on Wiring Harnesses: The material's inherent cushioning capability absorbs motor vibrations and external impacts, mitigating the risk of connector loosening and cable damage.
- Elevates Wear Resistance, Minimizing Attrition from Long-Term Friction: Amid robotic arm movements and intricate routing layouts, the protective shell effectively isolates cables from direct contact with structural components, boosting wire harness reliability.
- Achieves Customized Protection, Enhancing Space Utilization: Based on custom 3D printing designs, the structural layout can be optimized to meet specific wiring routes, achieving precise integration with the robot chassis and enhancing overall system integration.
- Safeguards Stable Operation During Training and Competitions: Amid high-frequency wiring motion, transport handling, and arena impacts, the protective shell continuously supplies stable support and cushioned defense for the cables, mitigating downtime risks caused by wiring faults and elevating robot operational reliability.
From Prototype Verification to the Real Arena
In contemporary robotics engineering, the application of 3D printing materials has transcended mere conceptual validation; it has progressively evolved to directly yield functional components competing in real combat.
By integrating Kexcelled’s THE K5™ PLA and THE K8™ TPU 95A materials, the Tongji University SuperPower Team managed to execute product iterations within shorter cycles and at lower costs, while perfectly satisfying the grueling demands for material strength, toughness, and durability dictated by the arena.
We are thrilled to see Kexcelled 3D printing materials prove their mettle and shine in real-world engineering and elite-level competitive arenas. Moving forward, Kexcelled will remain dedicated to the R&D of high-performance materials, delivering stable and reliable 3D printing solutions for more university innovation teams, and helping more hardcore, creative ideas step flawlessly from the blueprint to the arena!
We wish the Tongji University SuperPower Team resounding success in the National Finals! Chase your mecha dreams, and we will meet at the summit!