Glenn Dunbar
McLaren MCL32 Honda
McLaren Racing is producing components for its 2017 Formula 1 MCL32 race car with Stratasys 3D printing in a bid to reduce part weight and increase performance.
Building on the partnership deal signed between the additive manufacturing giant and Formula 1 leader in January, Stratasys is supplying McLaren with its latest FDM and PolyJet systems, which are now being used to build end-use components for the 2017 vehicle.
Parts include a hydraulic line bracket, flexible radio harness location boot, carbon fibre brake cooling ducts, and rear wing flap. The first is a structural bracket printed in nylon, which attaches the hydraulic line onto the vehicle and saved just under two weeks on production time compared to traditional processes. Printed on Stratasys’ J750, the flexible radio harness location boot is a 2-way communication system and was used in the first Grand Prix race of 2017.
Hydraulic line bracket
For the brake cooling ducts, McLaren Honda 3D printed sacrificial tools to create wash-out cores using ST-130 soluble material which were then wrapped with carbon-fibre reinforced composite material and autoclave-cured at elevated temperatures. The final result is a tubular structure smooth internal surface finishes to ensure the required airflow to brakes, whilst maintaining maximum aerodynamic and car performance.
The large rear wing flap extension was manufactured in carbon fibre-reinforced composites using a 3D printed lay-up tool. The team 3D printed the 900mm wide, high temperature (>350°F/177°C), autoclave-cured composite structure with ULTEM 1010 material in just three days.
“We are consistently modifying and improving our Formula 1 car designs, so the ability to test new designs quickly is critical to making the car lighter and more importantly increasing the number of tangible iterations in improved car performance,” Neil Oatley, Design and Development Director, McLaren Racing Limited, explained. “If we can bring new developments to the car one race earlier - going from new idea to new part in only a few days – this will be a key factor in making the McLaren MCL32 more competitive.
Radio wiring harness connector assembly boot
By expanding the use of Stratasys 3D printing in our manufacturing processes, including producing final car components, composite lay-up and sacrificial tools, cutting jigs, and more, we are decreasing our lead times while increasing part complexity.”
McLaren Honda will also be bringing a Stratasys uPrint SE Plus to track testing and races on-site to produce parts and tooling on demand.
Andy Middleton, President, Stratasys EMEA, commented: “Formula 1 is one of the world’s best proving grounds for our additive manufacturing solutions. As the Official Supplier of 3D Printing Solutions to the McLaren-Honda Formula 1 team, we are working closely together to solve their engineering challenges in the workshop, in the wind tunnel, and on the track. We believe that this, in turn, will enable us to develop new materials and applications that bring new efficiencies and capabilities to McLaren Racing and other automotive designers and manufacturers.
