McLaren + Stratasys
McLaren cars
Formula One team McLaren Racing is responding to tighter time and budget limits from the FIA on vehicle production. The team is using Neo800 stereolithography 3D printers from Stratasys to additively manufacture tens of thousands of parts.
McLaren is producing up to 9,000 parts per year across multiple front and rear wing programs, as well as large parts of the side bodywork and top body. The race team reported strides in optimising vehicle aerodynamics during wind tunnel testing. McLaren said that this was thanks to the accuracy of the parts printed on its five Neo800 systems.
The production time for McLaren has also been reduced, with the team claiming that it now is able to produce certain large parts, such as scale model top bodies, in as little as three days. Using additive manufacturing is also less expensive for the company, which is ideal after a few years of budget cuts.
Due to the lack of income, and the uncertainty about the future of the sport during the COVID-19 pandemic, the FIA decreased the budget cap from 175 million USD to 145 million USD in 2021. It was then further decreased to 140 milllion USD in 2022 and once again to 135 million USD for 2023.
The fleet of in-house printers enables McLaren to manufacture all aerodynamic parts at its base in Woking, UK, saving costs on subcontractors and the associated quality assurance QA processes. 3D printed jigs, templates, and small moulds that would previously have been machined from metal billets are also produced at the facility.
“Sterolithography technology and the materials have evolved, changing the way we use it,” said Tim Chapman, Head of Additive Manufacturing at McLaren racing. “We do not just manufacture prototypes anymore; we now produce many full-scale components and full-size tooling.”
One of the primary applications of 3D printing for McLaren is using the Neo800s for wind tunnel testing. The team uses 60% scales models to optimise the aerodynamic package and find more downforce. This provides more aerodynamic grip, balancing the front and rear aerodynamic loads on the vehicle.
“Wind tunnel testing is still the gold standard when assessing how every surface works together, either as an assembly or as a complete car,” explained Chapman. “Our Neo series of 3D printers have helped us to dramatically reduce the lead times of our aerodynamic wind tunnel components and projects.”
McLaren + Stratasys
Parts created with stereolithography technology
The material being used by the team is the Somos PerFORM Reflect resin material. The material was specifically developed for wind tunnel models and creates strong parts that take 30% less time to process.
“In addition to speed, we can now produce wind tunnel parts with supreme accuracy detail and surface finish, which has enabled our team to enhance testing and find innovative new ideas to improve performance,” said Chapman. “I cannot overstate how important these benefits are in Formula One, with super tight deadlines to deliver cars to the next race, and where the smallest design iteration can make all the difference between winning, losing, or making up positions on the grid.”
The 800 x 800 x 600 mm bed size of the Stratasys Neo800 is beneficial to McLaren, who harness the capability of producing multitudes of smaller parts to produce air pressure housings. Each car contains around 50 or 60 of the housings to enable air pressure readings across different surfaces.
The small pressure tapping that runs through the components are highly intricate and detailed, and sit within the car throughout testing and races to allow engineers to continuously monitor and optimise aerodynamic performance.
Andy Langfeld, President EMEA, Stratasys, said: “Transformative value in 3D printing comes from being able to quickly customise and tailor parts for specific applications. In this case, McLaren has been able to dramatically shorten product development time and control costs with next-gen sterolithography technology from Stratasys that is combined with world-class Somos materials and our deep racing expertise.”
Additive manufacturing is used also used elsewhere in Formula One, with Alpine F1 Team using 3D Systems technology to produce metal parts.
Stratasys recently completed an acquisition of Covestro's 3D printing business in a multi-million euro deal.
