More pressure for the race

Formula 1 racing team McLaren Racing is responding to tighter time and budget constraints on vehicle production by manufacturing tens of thousands of parts using large next-generation 3D printers, the Neo800 Series stereolithography printers from Stratasys.

The company produces up to 9,000 parts per year for front and rear wings as well as large parts of the side and upper bodywork.

The racing team reports great progress in optimizing the aerodynamics of the vehicle in wind tunnel tests thanks to the high accuracy of the parts printed on the five Neo800 systems. Beyond the quality aspect, the production time for the parts has also been drastically reduced, with the team now able to produce certain large parts, such as scaled upper body panels, in just three days.

Production is also more cost-effective. With the sport facing uncertain times and no revenue due to Covid, the FIA had decided to reduce the budget cap for the first year of operation in 2021 from 175 million to 145 million US dollars, then to 140 million for 2022 and 135 million US dollars for 2023. By using its in-house printers, McLaren can manufacture all aerodynamic parts at its site in Woking, UK, saving on supplier costs and the associated quality assurance. The team can also 3D print assembly jigs and templates, as well as small molds that were previously milled from metal blocks. The speed of the Neo800 stereolithography process not only saves a lot of time, but also expensive metal.

"Stereolithography technology and materials have evolved and so has the way we use them," says Tim Chapman, Head of Additive Manufacturing at McLaren Racing. "We no longer just produce prototypes, but now produce many full-size components and tooling." One of the main applications where McLaren sees the most benefit from its next-generation Neo800 printers is wind tunnel testing. The team uses 60% of the full-scale models to optimize the aerodynamic package and achieve more downforce, which provides more aerodynamic grip, and to balance the aerodynamic loads on the front and rear of the car.

Progress in the wind tunnel

"Wind tunnel testing is still the gold standard when it comes to assessing how all surfaces work together, either as an assembly or as a complete car," Chapman explains. "Our Neo Series 3D printers have helped us dramatically reduce lead times for our aerodynamic wind tunnel components and projects." The team prints parts using Somos PerForm Reflect resin, which was developed specifically for wind tunnel models. The result is robust, rigid parts with a 30% reduction in post-processing time.