Feb.19, 2013

From the experience of more than 40 years in the world of F1 working with top international teams, the CRP Group has great know-how in particular sectors, from additive manufacturing, to development of two-wheel racing vehicles in both combustion engines and electric power (eCRP is the electric racing motorcycle).

Using additive manufacturing (3D printing) and the Windform SLS materials, CRP Technology involves in the field of motorsport, aerospace and aviation industry.

How 3D printing is used in racing? One example is to manufacture parts for Nissan DeltaWing racecar.

(Image credit: deltawingracing.com)

Deltawing race car has been designed to perform at the same level as other Le Mans prototype vehicles but with half of the available horsepower. Accelerating the car from low speed corners with only half the available power requires the car to weigh as less as possible. However time was very short. The Delta Wing team had only 7 months from design to the first track test. Then they decided to use 3D printing and Laser Sintered Windform XT 2.0 materials in prototyping and testing.

CRP Technology and CRP USA work together with the team to find the best solution. Laser-sintered Windform XT 2.0 was used to construct brake inlets and ducting, air inlet ducting and filter enclosure, underbody extension flange, as well as the gearbox side covers. "The DeltaWing utilized a non- "stressed member" engine and gearbox to reduce the structural requirements of the assembly as well as reducing the vibration loads introduced into the lightweight car."

Zack Eakin, the DeltaWing engineer responsible for the design of the gearbox said:

"Once we realized that we could use Windform XT as a race-able part at the elevated temperatures & pressures we run the gearbox oil at, it opened up a big possibility for us that would have been cost & time prohibitive otherwise. We went for a design that put the output seal on the halfshaft rather than around the outside of the Tripod joint which represents a big reduction in parasitic losses. But this design means that you have a seal that moves with suspension travel, a non-rotating CV Boot that will react the seal drag, and that you need to somehow get oil into the tripod cavity. Creating a metallic part that would orient the CV boot perpendicular to the average halfshaft angle, with integral oil drillings was a 5-Axis machining job that still would be heavier than what Windform gave us. With rapid prototyping technology we were able to make a very complicated geometry, keep gentle radius's in the oil passages, and get rid of all unnecessary material without introducing great cost or lead time in the parts. We were able to bond the CV boots directly to the Windform, seal directly to them with an O-Ring, and run the part at temperatures as high as 135oC, and pressures over 1 bar gauge without any issues. Windform was a real homerun for us on these parts".

Zack also believes the electrical enclosures were another very good fit for RP technology "We designed a number of our own electrical controllers for things like the DRS & differential that we needed enclosures for. All an electrical enclosure needs to be is waterproof, durable, and have sufficient heat dissipation for the circuit it houses. We found that we couldn't make an aluminum housing that was as light as a Windform one, let alone cost or time competitive. Often we would make a simple aluminum lid that the PCB would mount & heat sink to, which screwed into a windform box via some tiny threaded inserts."

Windform XT 2.0 is the high-tech material for Additive Manufacturing mostly used for the manufacturing of parts for motorsport, as it can make accurate, reliable and durable prototypes and is perfect for functional applications. In this case, Windform XT 2.0 could be used as a raceable part at the elevated temperatures and pressures. Previously all these would have been too expensive in both time and cost, but with 3D printing, Delta Wing team is able to shorten the timing of realization of car construction without any losing in quality.

Watch the video below a Nissan DeltaWing in action.

 

 

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Source: racecar-engineering

 

Posted in 3D Printing Applications

 

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Mad Max wrote at 7/13/2016 11:41:22 PM:

fbflblfblfble,bpr,bprbpr,v, cool

smiley wrote at 2/27/2013 4:02:39 AM:

awesome!!!!!! it is so cool



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