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Riding high: how Jesse Hahne of CAD brings a personal touch to his powersports passions.

aaron pearson
Aaron Pearson March 25, 2020
March 25, 2020

Riding around racetracks and speeding on off-road trails, Jesse Hahne grew up on the pegs of a dirt bike. An adrenaline junkie with a huge imagination, Jesse has always had passions for design, engineering, and speed. To fill his thirst for creativity, he decided to attend ATC to study Engineering Design and Outdoor Power. Unable to spend every second of every day on his bike, he wanted to find a way to combine his love for powersports and design engineering. About 6 years ago, Jesse was able to turn his vision into a reality and created the Center for Advanced Design, commonly known as CAD.

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CAD is a product development firm located in Elk River, Minnesota. Jesse’s team consists of a group of creatives, who also double as design engineers with years of experience. The team specializes in designing and constructing complex surface geometry for the plastics industry. Jesse said, “We’ve carved a niche out for ourselves designing plastic components for customers in the product development industry,” and this is exactly where he wants to be.

From crafting industrial design concepts and producing digital sketches to assisting clients with implementation by building production tooling, Jesse’s team does it all. They make use of Stratasys 3D printers to build prototypes and test out their designs. The printers also allow the team to make quick changes to their designs and then print new designs within hours. It is a unique tool that lets them be quick and efficient in the process. The printers also give them an edge since they are able to turn a customer’s need into an actual product. Through their ability to handle all parts related to product development, they don’t have any trouble keeping their hands busy.

In addition to driving his three young kids around, Jesse still finds a little time to get back on the bike during the summer. At a recent motocross competition, Jesse was riding his bike when the left side engine cover broke. With his engineering design background and 3D printing capabilities, he was able to print off the new part within hours and before his next event.

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The 3D printed engine cover after a day on the bike.

Jesse printed the engine cover on a Stratasys printer with Nylon 12CF material in order to create a durable, yet strong part. The Nylon 12CF material was also able to hold up to the high heat of the engine during the race. After his success with the 3D printed engine cover, Jesse additionally decided to 3D print a case saver (which protects the engine in the event that the main drive chain brakes) and the rear brake caliper guard.

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The 3D printed rear brake caliper guard.

For more information about how Nylon 12 CF can help you build strong parts, visit this page.