The key success factor in Formula One is the efficient development of new components and their immediate production.
The development departments of Formula One teams were among the first to experiment with additive manufacturing and to explore the dimensions of the technology.
Metal AM is the first choice when lightweight components with complex structures and geometries are exposed to high mechanical loads or high temperatures.
Technically, practically anything is possible: lattice and honeycomb structures, voids and integrated channels. Items are produced with low weight and the highest stability, according to the designer’s ideas and requirements.
Additive Industries, Eindhoven, the Netherlands, has reported that the recently-unveiled Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen F1 race car features 143 metal additively manufactured parts. Introduced at the Barcelona F1 race track in Spain on February 19, 2020, the C39 race car is currently undergoing on-circuit testing prior to the start of the 2020 F1 season.
Of the 143 metal additively manufactured parts, 58 are made from titanium, 19 from a high-performance aluminium alloy and 66 from AlSi10Mg.
The additively manufactured parts include chassis inserts, cooling circuit piping, safety structures, electronic component installations and more. Using Additive Manufacturing, Additive Industries stated that a 2% weight saving was achieved, said to be highly beneficial to the car’s performance.
