large format 3d printing works for digital vehicle design
fast cars, big 3d prints - what could be better?
One big reason why there’s a lot of promise for additive
manufacturing in formula racing is that because of its size you can use large
format 3D printing to print most any part you need. This may include the
construction of motors, body kits and components in all shapes and sizes. This
can obviously get very technical, one may even decide on the ratio of
composition that they need for a certain type of race car for a certain race.
This is bound to become a big deal in the racing world as being meaner and
lighter can make all the difference on the different tracks. If you have more
twists and turns you may want to commission a particular marriage of
components. While there are huge advances being made in aviation, there’s
significantly less room to experiment and try out different designs out on the
field.
Especially for those who are accustomed to fixing up their cars
or bikes from the comfort of their very own garage it seems only natural that
at some point having a large format 3D printer would come in very handy as well
as make the whole process a more personalized and meaningful process. One could
really widen their horizons and make all sorts of things like a go-kart for
their kid’s birthday, a mini-bike or parts for their personal drones such as
additional components or customized accessories. While all this seems very plausible, there need to
be concrete steps that need to be taken to test the waters in these respects.
The big problem is that additive manufacturing is very expensive at present, so
mostly businesses are the ones that need to take the lead to get the ball
rolling and figuring out where adjustments need to be made.
This is where some experienced Formula teams are stepping up to
the plate to build all types of components from rigid raw materials. They’re
figuring out through actual experimentation out in the field what they can make
happen and run more smoothly. In this way, the whole racing industry appears to
be quite beneficial for those who dream about building automotive components
themselves as true professionals are the ones who are taking the initiative. It
is up to them to test the limits of this novel technology and are taking on the
hard part of working all the bugs out. This is important and necessary to do
before these sort of machines are geared towards a broader and more generally
accessible market. It’d be a major shame if people all over the suburbs saved
up all kinds of money for inferior results.
One very indispensable element in 3D design is the academic. A
number of universities are becoming involved with the development of end-to-end
digital design, particularly as it relates to aspects such as engine
construction, for instance the shape of the intake manifold. One such example
of college level affiliation is Hornet Racing, an engineering organization that
works closely with California State University is working out of their
Sacramento campus to not only conceive of, but also test out different designs
that they hope will improve automotive performance..
Every year they work on a one of a kind, one seat, open-wheel car
design producing a for the Formula
Society of Automotive Engineers which holds an international competition. The
completed project takes all kinds of skills particularly as it pertains to the
motor as the intake manifold, which is tasked with feeding a mixture of fuel
and air to the cylinders, needs to be especially efficient as competition
guidelines dictate that these cylinders can only count on a single throttle for
all, complete with a diameter restrict or that effectively limits the power output.
It’s a challenge alright, but the Hornet team was up to it and
utilizing the complex geometrical capabilities of large format 3D printing they
were able to increase airflow efficiency, decrease the weight of throttle
related components and minimized boundary layering that traditional methods
like welding couldn’t avoid, particularly as the innovative designs that needed
to be constructed were very detail oriented. On top of taking a long time to
put together, the costs of using traditional tools to accomplish them was quite
large.
By using Digital Light Processing technology by Carbon to utilize
large scale 3D printing of Rigid Polyurethane, or RPU, which yields a great
deal of tensile strength that allows it to elongate up to 100% before reaching
breaking point. This process also guarantees and outstanding finish despite
high levels of complexity. In the context of this competition the team was able
to completely rethink the intake manifold as a jet engine of sorts in such a
precise manner that it was ready to be introduced directly into the engine.
They were also capable of cleverly and efficiently consolidate
the fuel injector ports by using large format 3D printing to create them as
part of the revamped intake runners with tapered diameters that smoothed air
flow to the cylinder head ensuring powerful delivery that didn’t lag. The novel
structure decreased turbulence considerably, all with no tooling costs
whatsoever. In the end, at this 2017 they came in 16th out of 80 teams that
competed.
On a more
commercial note automotive part suppliers are developing new models that they
can market to the racing world at a rate that´s much faster than before, which
is good news as they can produce a truly reliable product for mass scale
production with minimal testing time. One such example is the Tier One
component manufacturer Magenta Marelli Brazil which teamed up with the
resourceful CRP Group to use their large format 3D printing units and Laser
Sintering materials, in this case WindformGF2.0,
a powder that is made up of a polyamide base that’´s reinforces with glass
fibers and Aluminum.
They came
away with relevant notes for a new and improved intake manifold after various
testing phases where they kept a careful eye on torque, fuel consumption, power
and integrity with measurements taken at
around 6,000 rpm´s. With this information they can develop a mold for
distribution in record time. In the end Lon run we may see an welcomed leap forward in automotive
ingenuity thanks to a construction process that´s yielding consistently
reliable results that companies can use to give consumers far and wide the best
and most up-to-date products, taking market competition up a gear .
Innovations and changes in consumer trends don’t just happen by
themselves, it takes a lot of time, dedication and know how so that people can
purchase them with confidence. For this reason mass scale introduction of
electronics are pretty hard to come by despite our natural and prevalent
fascination with the latest gadgets.
What’s often necessitated are big commitments from experienced and resourceful
companies and organizations that have the means to not only find out what works
but to test limits and what outright will not. The latter isn’t considered too
profoundly by the average person as they are for the most part just happy to
bask in the glory of the final results.
There’s a lot that can ultimately happen to the role of additive manufacturing in both professional and
personal spheres precisely because large players in the automotive and racing game are
weighing in and lending what they have to the development of the mechanics of cars.
Their research is proving invaluable in clarifying what large format 3D
printing has in store for the future and engineering itself. Hopefully a new age of automotive know-how
and ability will begin where more and more people can participate in what
traditionally only experienced technical experts could, the augmentation of
auto mechanics.