2020 SLSNZ Awards of Excellence Winners Booklet

SLS Kariaotahi is one of only a few clubs nationally that can
operate at night - and they can do it thanks to 3D printing.
Night operations are extremely dangerous and can only be
conducted by highly trained crews, operating under strict
safety controls and where the risk is justified by the realistic
potential to save life.
SLS Kariaotahi win the DHL Innovation of the Year for their use
of 3D printing to create a mount for navigation lights in an IRB
- an issue that had caused headaches for years. The light is
mounted above the engine cowling via a simple clip with the
base attached to a standard GoPro surface mount, making it
easy to attach and remove. Feedback from the Police Eagle
helicopter crew after a rescue in May 2019 of three people was
that the IRB was difficult to spot from the air at night. 3D
printing again helped with the solution. A lightweight mount
was designed to attach flashing lights to the crews’ helmets,
again via a commercially available GoPro attachment. These
lights and mounts are now part of the standard PPE for night
operations and are a part of clubs’ Night Operations Kit.
Awards of Excellence