【3D Printing Applications】The Champion Team's Secret: "It" is the Key to Victory!
In racing, a 0.1-second difference can be crucial to winning or losing. To ensure the race car's performance was more stable, the Van Amersfoort team decided to use 3D printers to create fixtures and jigs, and then use various 3D printed fixing tools to produce race car parts.
First, to enhance the stability of the race car's rear wheels, the team used the stronger "Clariant PA6/66 20CF" nylon material (containing 20% carbon fiber) to create tire alignment tools. Using the Ultimaker Ruby Print Core CC Red 0.6 allowed them to confidently print these abrasive filaments without damaging the nozzle.
"The possibilities of using Clariant carbon fiber filament are endless; it can meet all our 3D printing needs," said a team member.
To prevent parts from scratching the car body or paint during assembly, the team chose custom "Clariant" PET-G filament to produce internal buffer parts for the jigs. The filament color could be chosen according to needs, specially customized to the same fluorescent orange as their race car. These small details significantly improved the overall completeness and quality!
"Before we knew about metal manufacturing as the only method, we never thought we could use 3D printers to make car parts. 3D printing technology has helped us immensely, allowing the team to produce tools at low cost and high efficiency within two days. As the technology develops, mechanics will also request specific 3D printed tools," said team member Remco.
When maintaining parts, the team's mechanics use 3D printed tool holders, making every required tool and part clearly visible, which greatly improves work efficiency and makes maintenance easier.
To cultivate the skills of their racing drivers, Van Amersfoort has a simulated training process. Drivers sit in a simulated cockpit indoors, with a projected screen in front simulating the racetrack.
The team uses Ultimaker 3D printers to create the curved roll cage around the cockpit, which is then wrapped in carbon fiber cloth. When the simulator creates a glow, it allows the driver to feel the real ambient light. Through such repeated practical exercises, the team has trained many experienced and strong champion racing drivers!
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