The Phoenix Racing Team from Coventry University
The Phoenix Racing Team from Coventry University
Ogle Models and Prototypes has harnessed selective laser sintering (SLS) technology to produce racing car parts for Coventry University students ahead of the Formula Student competition next month.
The British service provider was brought on board to provide its expertise in 3D printing, and use it to help the students reduce weight and maintain optimum performance of its single-seat race car. Ogle used SLS to print the intake runners of the car, which featured intricate and complex geometries and required absolute accuracy to ensure the part would be airtight. It was produced in Nylon PA2200 to add strength and the temperature resistance the part required. Once printed and installed, the car was taken for successful test run on the Silverstone track, where it will race next month.
Formula Student is an annual event held at the Silverstone race track, where student race teams work to build and race their very own race cars. In its 20 years of existence it has become one of Europe’s top educational engineering competitions, and this year will welcome 130 student teams form more than 30 countries.
In recent years, the student teams that make up the competition have taken inspiration from their superiors in the professional Formula racing circuits and began to adopt 3D printing technologies to rethink the design and manufacture of parts to reduce costs, weight, and time. Coventry University’s 'The Phoenix Racing Team', this year have been no different, and sought to partner with Ogle because, according to team leader, Ross Miller, ‘Ogle’s reputation speaks for itself […] they’re the best people to speak to and gave us so much more testing time than we’d anticipated.’ While for the Ogle team, it’s been an enjoyable experience too.
“It has been a pleasure working with The Phoenix Racing Team at Coventry University this year,” commented Matt White, senior sales engineer, Ogle, and a former Coventry University student. “They are an amazing bunch of designers and engineers with such creative ideas.
“The competition is a prestigious one, aimed at helping innovative engineers showcase their technical, engineering design and manufacturing skills, and we’re very proud to support the next generation of racing car designers. In our day-to-day lives at Ogle, we’re working on parts for several global car manufacturers and it’s great to bring that industrial 3D printing expertise to Coventry University.”
