Small scale success
Scale models, produced using stereo-lithography, helped the team secure first and second places in its first two Euro Series races
The Signature Formula 3 team turned to Materialise to produce scale models of its race cars for wind tunnel testing.
The models, produced using stereolithography, helped the team secure first and second places in its first two Euro Series races.
Billed as the world’s toughest junior race series, the F3 is now in its eighth season. It began 10 April at Le Castellet and will finish 17 October at Hockenheim after 18 races.
Signature approached Materialise earlier this year to construct a set of 50 parts needed for a scale model to conduct the first run of a wind tunnel test. After the air resistance measurements were in, Signature tweaked the design of parts to optimise the airflow around the car, propelling it forward with as little resistance as possible. When the project is completed in June, about 200 model parts will be produced during four rounds of tests.
“As competition is extremely fierce, it’s important for us to study our car’s airflow in order to maximise effectiveness,” says Benoît Lestoquoy, Design Manager at Signature. Since we worked with Materialise in the past on car prototypes and they have a proven track record of quality, we chose them for our new wind tunnel application.”
Half the dimensions of life-size cars, the scale models are about one metre long so parts range in size between 10-30 centimetres. “Building real cars would have been very costly; the scale models saved Signature a great deal of time and money,” explains Jonathan Cornelus, Account Manager for Materialise. “The test results are the same but building a scale model requires a lot more accuracy and precision to achieve reliable airflow measurements.”
As a result of this, it’s imperative to obtain a high degree of stiffness in the scale model as it would have in a real composite car part to prevent uncontrolled deformation. Materialise employed an additive manufacturing technology called stereolithography with a ceramic filled resin, giving the parts the rigidity and feel of glass. This allowed Signature to receive accurate results every time.
“The main challenge was the short lead time. A week or two after we received the CAD file from Signature; we delivered all parts for the first test run. In fact, we dedicated one machine to this project,” recalls Jonathan. “Due to our technology and ability to quickly provide all the parts needed for each wind tunnel test, design changes could quickly be integrated on test runs and ultimately on the race car”.
This project is quite unique for Materialise for two reasons. The application is quite exceptional: “It is the first time we used this application for a racing team in the French market,” Jonathan remarks. Also, the affiliation between Materialise and Signature is a true collaboration for optimal results. “Our partnership is highly visible as you can see from our name and logo on the side of their race car twins."
Images for this article - click to enlarge
Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright © Mercator Media 2012. This does not exclude the owner's assertion of copyright over the material.
