dream it then drive it using large format 3d printing
printing large objects creates experiences once impossible
Large format 3D printing of a whole race car based on a brand new, unique design
that’s been carefully engineered using a computer makes sense,
but it takes a whole lot of dedication from a knowledgeable team that
can work together towards a similar goal. It isn’t an easy task at all and to
do it right you also need
to learn how to do
it wrong quite tediously.
However, it’s
this accrual of know -how that
is showing a lot of promise in the development of new racing designs and is already starting to give
a significant edge to teams that are able to apply 3D-printed auto components in
adept ways.
The thing about the racing world that makes it ripe for
3-dimensional developments is that there is a genuine passion that drives
professionals who are
exploring large format 3d printing technology. It takes many types of
talents to run a race smoothly,
so as there is plenty of intricacy
to go around, many
professionals in the field already have an inclination to see car construction
as an art that can be
elaborated significantly and in of itself is a joy to explore. For many of these
professionals, in
the not too distant future it’s bound to become hard to avoid getting bit by
the large format 3D printing bug. As a consequence this acquaintance
with digital tweaking is sure to breathe new life into the industry.
There’s sure to be a race that’s just waiting to break out to see
who are the first engineers to develop all kinds of specific kinds of
efficient, cost-effective designs. Advancements that are proven to surpass in a
variety of respects what’s already available through more traditional means of object construction
are sure to tempt investors of all sorts. There’s bound to be an array of
interested parties just waiting to find their niche. It makes all the sense in the world as, undoubtedly,
if something works well and
offers a certain attributes
its sure to get some attention. A big one is longevity, that is
expanding the terms of how long a particular component can ultimately last in
the heat of an intense race. A whole bunch of
groups, especially in racing, are sure to be eager to purchase them or adopt
similar designs with their own printing units.
A great example of what large scale 3D printing technology has in
store for the future of racing is also one of its very first to be tested out
in the heat of a Formula competition, no light task. It participated in the
Hockenheim race and was recorded as going from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in
just a whopping 4 seconds and achieving a top speed of 141, not bad at all for
a vehicle that was constructed largely by a technology that was virtually
unknown by almost everyone a mere decade or two ago. The car in question takes
its name directly from Greek mythology, Areion, an immortal horse that brings
to mind the world renowned Ferrari logo. It was brought to life thanks to the
expertise the engineers of Group T, a group consisting of a 16 individuals who
know the nitty gritty
of various aspects of race car construction in and out.
What’s also notable about the Areion is that it was developed in
an ecologically conscious manner. One of the staples of large part 3D printing
at the present time, as well as its most promising benefits for a more
sustainable world, is the utilization of composite materials that seek to make
the most of the sort that are most widely available. This is to say, instead of
making something completely out of one type of relatively expensive metal, less
costly materials may be mixed in. In metal printing, for example, it is quite
common to use as much aluminum as possible. In the case of the Areion, the
promote sustainability, but there are other environmentally friendly choices
that were made such as an electric drive train and the use of bio-composites.
In order to print out automotive components a large format 3d printer
is required, and the Group turned to the largest in the print giant Materialise’s repertoire,
Mammoth Stereolithography that can construct the entire body of a car in one go.
The cool thing is that you not only can 3D print a large frame, or shell, but
all types of additions that can go with it, effectively saving you the time of
having to add them on later. Another big advantage of having a large format 3D printer
create the body is that it could be designed to be “intelligent” by
carefully including connection points and integrated clips that make it easy to
take apart for the eventual need for maintenance.
As far as the engine goes, large scale 3D printed side pods with
specially designed cooling channels. One side pod has a diffuser and a nozzle
behind the radiator which in effect optimize air flow through the radiator.
There’s even a fan that’s installed behind the radiator to allow for this when
the car slows or stops all together. As for the other side pods, it features a
complex design that’s meant to produce a cyclone effect to do away with dirt
and water before it has a chance to hit the engine. Another neat feature is
that the Areion features a unique nose that bears a shark skin design that’s
meant to cut through the air.
Large format 3D printing is a process that takes time to get used
to as many engineering aren’t accustomed
to working with this kind of computerization in quite this manner. The biggest
obstacle has been to put competent pros in close proximity to the nature of
technology to improve it as well as articulate their plans for it. This is an important role that needs to be
played to ensure that the development of this new wave of construction and
design is carried out in as public a manner as possible. Professionals need to step up and lay out
different avenues that may be undertaken that in turn may be applied to various
purposes in numerous industries that can benefit from them if only by becoming
aware of them as general capabilities that exist out in the world.
It is then pretty easy to consider that if large format 3D
printing big parts becomes as wide of a success as many people believe that it has the potential to be,
within a certain group of racing teams there could end up being for them a new
lucrative source of income. This new revenue is sure to be welcomed as the overhead can
obviously get quite expensive and operations in this new area can grow along with a team’s
specific needs. If applied
correctly, this
technology can put them in the very profitable position of making a name for
themselves as both performers and leaders of a new industry, consequently generating an amount of
attention that can really propel them well into another strata. While we may be
talking about a single sector like the auto industry, the possibilities are
truly endless and due to their complexity may be rather impossible to predict
in terms of the limitations that may be encountered and the heights that could
ultimately be reached.
What’s bound to happen is a greater variability in race car
design and an increasing trend in experimentation. Possibilities to this end
have been pretty limited which is pretty disappointing as innovating through
new ideas should be more commonplace and the rule rather than the exception.
Playing it safe isn’t the best way to familiarize one’s self with the routes of
innovation. It’s very important for professionals to view the field as open to
a wide array of possibility so that the imagination of designers and engineers
alike may soar as high as their aspirations and their dreams.
Being able to conceive of our own cars speak to an innocence, a
childlike wonder that many of us have experienced and have lost through
everyday struggle. Starting designs like those of cars from a blank slate is a
profound form of self-expression that should be much more common than it has come to be in a world that’s becoming
more and more impersonal every single day by the very technology that should be
used to elaborate our desires It’s of great benefit to cultivate it so that we
don’t miss out on the potential that great minds in the field have to offer,
not just from a performance standpoint,
but also from the artistic perspective, of course these two often meet,
form meets function and different attributes such as aerodynamics yield some
pretty inspiring results that aren’t too easy to anticipate.