Rainbow’s end: "Green-friendly" White House playground set designed in SolidWorks
By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 3/16/2009 2:00:00 PM
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By now most everyone knows that part of the White House lawn sports a brand-new swing set.
What’s lesser known is the "’green-friendly” set was developed by Rainbow Play Systems, a Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks and Alignex solutions user.
Dubbed Malia & Sasha's Castle, the set is great for both active and passive play, with a "penthouse" with a double bubble, overhead monkey bars, shimmy bars, four standard swings, a race car tire swing, rock wall, step chain ladder, slide, binoculars, periscopes and chalkboard.
The design of the set was reversed from the standard design model so that the "double bubble" faces the Oval Office, where President Obama can keep an eye on his daughters at play.
The design for the "Rainbow Castle"-branded system was accomplished using SolidWorks 3D Mechanical Design (CAD) software. SolidWorks is said to have given the designers the flexibility to develop multiple configurations of parts and subsystems that makes customizing the final design layout a simple process.
"SolidWorks helps us provide the customer with the exact play system they are looking for," says Jon Mattson, product design manager for Rainbow Play Systems.
The 100-percent North American cedar and redwood structure was an important selling point given President Obama’s drive to promote green energy. Rainbow Play Systems markets these materials as an "environmentally responsible choice."
Original Rainbow Play Systems contain only "certified" lumber from third-party inspected mills that comply with all local, state, and federal harvesting regulations.
