If you grew up playing in toy cars you don’t have to try too hard to imagine the joy that comes with constructing the real deal from scratch and getting just the right type vehicle you want. When talking about putting together a design that no one has ever seen or straight up driven before there has traditionally been a huge consideration for the tools and methods that would be required to construct each desirable component. From a logistics standpoint, there´s a lot to consider and compromise on to keep costs and production time down to a minimum. But what if you could design in such a way that you are left far more untethered? What if you could dive head first into the design aspect, thereby including most everything you want and are free to leave the how as an afterthought? Large format 3d printing services can take you there.
The implications are many, especially in terms of efficiency as a design can be produced in a fraction of the time, which is precisely why different interested parties are joining forces to forge straight into unfamiliar construction territory, as is proving to be a success in the case of large format 3D printing companies that are looking to racing teams to cobble out a sustainable market. It makes quite a bit of sense for the large format 3d printing industry to come knocking on the doors of automotive engineers who are always looking for the next best thing. In fact, there is a lot of spying from one team to the next to get an idea for the concepts that are working for them, even a common practice of deceiving other teams by placing features that serve no purpose on their cars to lead opponents down the wrong path. Two heads are better than one and when people try to abide by this notion they can really get a lot done. You would ideally want a great deal of expertise to round out the effort to expand the reach of large part 3d printing, and this is bound to bring more and more.
There’s a lot of science involved with large format 3d printed parts, of course, but at this stage it’s also largely a big game of wait and see how, and if, something does seem to do its job when it’s put to the test, be it in a lab or out on the track. For those with a background in physics there are so many things to consider and ways to go about achieving specific effectiveness. The variables are many, but the geometric complexity that may be utilized to meet them is greater than ever before. Those with tons of automotive knowledge can join forces with individuals that are design wise to hash out concrete ideas that they can follow through in an unrestricted manner, precisely because of the ease with which one can get their ideas down with the help of a competent software program. The possibilities are immeasurable due to the sheer youth of large format 3d printing technology that hasn’t had much of an opportunity to show what it´s made of. There simply aren’t too many parts that have been made using large format 3d printing, as such many people aren’t effectively being tied down by an over precariousness which may lead them to overly indecisive positions.
Formula 1 is a pretty obvious choice as the compact cars require only a fraction of the dimensions that your average car on the road needs. This is in large part due to the fact that a major requirement for automotive components in this arena This by no means is to say that it is easier, the aerodynamics involved are actually much more complicated to adjust for and it’s for this reason that in places like the headquarters of Williams Formula One they use a wind tunnel model to test out designs on a treadmill that goes up to 55 meters per second while simultaneously testing the downforce factor by sending high-powered winds which is considered to be the most indispensable factor to consider as it is the out most importance if you want to reduce drag and amp up acceleration. Not only is this an effective to measure performance with the help of numerous instruments attached to the model, but they save on a considerable amount of raw material because they use large format 3d printing to print it out at two thirds the size of the real deal, but also on valuable time throughout the development process.
Williams are champions and they looked poised to continue to be a fruitful example of ingenuity thanks to the partnership that began in 2015 between them and EOS E-Manufacturing Solutions. Leaders like these are sure to emerge in many areas of large format 3D printing and should be welcomed with open arms by giants of industry.
When high-performance is what you’re after, by its very nature the process itself can’t be completely predictable and unexpected results are sure to abound. This is why a production method like large format 3d printing that can keep up with time parameters like professional Formula 1 races makes all the sense in the world. Perhaps in the future there’ll be computer programs that can simulate with great accuracy what the optimal parts for specific races that are awaiting ahead in the calendar. At any rate, you ideally would want to come away with something that’s better than what you originally conceive of in your mind’s eye, and with the support of the market who knows how far we can go to push the boundaries of performance and function.
