When some Formula 1 race cars make a pit stop, they may be getting parts that are printed.
That’s thanks to a new partnership between McLaren Racing and Stratasys, a 3D printing company headquartered in Minneapolis and Israel.
McLaren is using Stratasys’ latest 3D printing techniques for prototyping, production tooling and customized production parts, giving its cars better performance and productivity with quicker turnaround times.
“It has become clear that motorsport’s reliance on rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing, and the ability to radically cut time to market, is increasing,” said Eric Boullier, racing director of McLaren Racing, said in a statement. “We look to being well served by our new alliance with Stratasys.”
They already have. In March, when McLaren realized its race car needed a more dynamic rear wing in time for a race just two weeks away, it knew getting one usually took at least a month. But with 3D printing, it had the new part with time to spare.
It has since used 3D printing to quickly replace several other parts, including some produced in just hours with the design modifications accelerated and the weight of the car decreased. McLaren Honda will have its team able to produce parts and tooling on demand at track testing and races on-site.
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“By expanding the use of Stratasys 3D printing in our manufacturing processes, including producing final car components, composite lay-up and sacrificial tools, cutting jigs, and more, we are decreasing our lead times while increasing part complexity,” Neil Oatley, Design and Development Director, McLaren Racing Limited, said in a statement.
Those lead times may get even shorter. Stratasys and McLaren says they’ll also use 3D printing trackside to make parts and tooling on demand during tests and races.