Since its inception, the heart-pounding, thrilling action of Formula 1 racing has captured the attention of spectators across the globe. Over the past few decades, the sport has only increased in popularity, with F1’s cumulative audience estimated at a staggering 1.55 billion viewers in 2022 alone.
Stratasys is proud to maintain a long-term partnership with McLaren, one of F1’s most storied and prominent teams. As an industry leader in 3D printing, we’ve helped McLaren streamline and optimize a number of components and elements within their vehicles, via our proprietary technology, and have found working with the team to be an intriguing, ongoing challenge.
Pushing the boundaries of what’s possible has always been one of Stratasys’ primary values, and our partnership with McLaren has provided us with a unique opportunity to test the limits of 3D printing and expand the possibilities for use of our technology.
But McLaren isn’t the only team that’s turned to the technology to level up their game.
3D printing offers numerous benefits to F1 teams that are perpetually searching to boost their competitive edge. From the ability to tweak and adjust parts and features at hyper speed to saving money, in terms of both labor hours and on the production of components, it’s clear that 3D printing can make the difference between leading the pack and being left behind.
F1 was an early adopter of 3D printing, as teams immediately recognized the value of the technology for everything from prototyping to light-weighting components. Many F1 teams have been leveraging 3D printing for years, even back when the technology was in its nascent form.
Initially, F1 teams utilized 3D printing as an inexpensive, quick means for experimentation around aerodynamics and prototyping adjustments. The goal was to be able to test designs and theories and produce models at scale, with the understanding that traditional manufacturing would be used for making the actual vehicle parts used during races.
Next, the focus shifted to viewing 3D printing as an alternative medium for tooling and production. F1 teams saw 3D printing as a means to create fixtures and the elements holding different devices during the assembling and manufacturing processes.
Today’s reality is far more exciting. While this would have been unimaginable even 10 years ago, 3D printing is currently used for a stunning variety of real, end-use parts that make their way onto the track, in races that are watched by millions of viewers.
There are a plethora of 3D printed parts and components used in F1 cars during the world’s most exciting races, including sensors, brake ducts, parts of the wings, the steering wheels, customized grips on those steering wheels, wiring harnesses for driver safety, and much more.
In a sport that’s dependent on adapting to the latest technology in order to stay ahead of the competition, 3D printing has emerged as a unique way for teams to turn their most far-fetched-but-brilliant concepts into reality.
The technology empowers teams with the ability to dream big, overcome logistical and manufacturing limitations to try out new ideas - and oftentimes, save money while doing so.
For F1 teams looking to make adjustments to their vehicles, traditional printing oftentimes was restrictive, both in terms of its financial and physical limitations. Innovative and funky designs either couldn't be produced, or meant that costs to create them would be astronomical.
But 3D printing enables innovation and boundary-pushing. Multiple design iterations can be produced within days. For mid-season changes, the entire top frame of the car can be ready for testing in less than half of the time when compared to traditional manufacturing.
The production-to-completion process is turbo-charged, with significantly shorter turnaround times; what takes a few weeks with traditional manufacturing may mean a wait of just a few days with 3D printing. When compared with traditional manufacturing, 3D printing typically provides cost and time savings of 60% to F1 teams.
That’s not to mention that 3D printing enables hyper-customization, on a micro-level never previously possible. Think tweaking vehicles per race, even depending on the weather conditions (rainy vs. sunny.)
With adjustments easier and less expensive than ever, 3D printing paves the way for designers and engineers to experiment and creatively remimage even the most fundamental aspects of their race cars.
The lightweighting of parts has been a primary area of focus and transformation for F1 teams using 3D printing. Many race car components can be made lighter via 3D printing, as opposed to the parts produced by traditional manufacturing.
It’s critical to note, however, that making parts as light as possible isn’t the key aim of F1 teams. Retaining structural integrity and strength, while making parts lighter, is the balance that team designers are always striving towards.
This has often come in the form of replacing traditionally manufacturing carbon-fiber parts with 3D printed nylon parts, which are typically enriched with carbon fiber. Exchanging carbon-fiber parts made via traditional printing for 3D printed parts, which 40% filled, has become incredibly popular.
By utilizing partial filling or combining alternative materials with traditional materials, via wrapping and a composite format, teams can get the best of both worlds: strong, stiff components that can hold up in the event of a crash, but are significantly lighter than their traditional counterparts.
Speaking of crashes, 3D printing has also revolutionized design for these exact scenarios. In-fill patterns can be made specifically for the load of impact to be directed away from the driver or specific systems, both mitigating danger to human life and maximizing the post-accident salvageability of the vehicle.
Leveraging Stratays’ NEO800, McLaren uses 60% scale models of parts in its wind tunnels to optimize the aerodynamic package and find more downforce – which provides more aerodynamic grip – and balance the front and rear aerodynamic loads on the car.
McLaren also uses Stratasys’ 3D printing for rapid prototyping, which looks like creating functional models in order to test new designs, improve functionality, and ensure that changes and adjustments are optimized before committing to manufacturing.
The team utilizes 3D printing for its manufacturing tooling, which speeds up the assembly process and means that they can produce jigs and fixtures on demand, as well as for creating low volume customized production parts.
Stratasys’ partnership with McLaren is mutually beneficial. We have gained incredibly valuable first-hand knowledge from their questions and printing requests, and we’ve improved our processes tremendously based on our real-world experience of working with them.
McLaren’s thirst for leading the way and embracing the latest in 3D printing technologies gives us new perspectives and experiences, which spills over into our traditional automotive and aerospace sectors. Much of what we’ve learned by working with McLaren has made its way into our general practices, benefiting our clients in a wide array of industries.
As 3D printing technology continues to evolve, it’s certain that F1 teams will be early adopters. The sport has solidified its position at the forefront of implementing new processes and features, and I’m confident that F1 will embrace the endless possibilities for innovation and experimentation offered by 3D printing.
Listen to Matt’s full interview on the F1 Tech.
