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.
