To compete for wins in IndyCar requires constant performance- and safety-based modifications to the race car. 3D Printing is used to quickly develop, fit, test, and even race multiple parts for the car. It has enabled Rahal Letterman Lanigan to speed up and refine the entire process, for design, testing and production of race-ready performance parts and pit-use parts.

“3D printing is the norm these days in terms of creating prototype Indy car components out of carbon and other materials,” says Bobby Rahal, team co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. 

With XYZprinting technology, RLL can quickly produce prototype Indy car components to confirm clearances and function ,which reduces precious design time spent checking complicated packaging limits and ultimately reduces the team’s concept-to-track time.   

Racing in IndyCar is highly demanding on the brake system. The vehicles on track can regularly see temperatures reaching 900°C or higher, which must be cooled down before the next application for maximum effectiveness. The brake system has ducts that force air into the rotors and calipers when running so the heat can be dissipated.

Problems arise when the car stops and the brakes soak up heat. The temperatures can be high enough to ignite surrounding equipment so keeping the brakes cool while in the pit is imperative to maintaining the integrity of the brake system. Brake fans must be easy to install and remove to keep in line with the very tight schedules demanded of the team during the sessions.

RLL’s solution was to 3D print an innovative and easy-to-use, brake-fan component to kept the breaks cool in the pit. The custom-design was printed on the XYZprinting’s MfgPro230 xS.

The MfgPro230 xS from XYZprinting produces high-performance parts in PA 12, TPU, and other engineering-grade materials. The output is highly accurate and reliable. In this case, the large parts needed exceeded the build volume of the MfgPro230 xS, however, the accuracy of the output allowed the race team to easily create an assembly of interlocking parts. On top of this, the parts have the ability to easily be painted or dyed which was needed in this trackside application to comply with series rules. For these reasons, the MfgPro230 xS was a natural fit for this demanding engineering project.

The ability to fit large pieces together and with inserts and electromechanical features enabled serviceability and complicated designs that would otherwise be unable to be manufactured. The ability to make a tight fitting piece that also must conform to complicated shapes is only made possible through 3D printing. The PA 12 gives the strength to keep up with the grueling demands and repeated punishment that goes along with racing.

The mechanical properties, accuracy, and versatility of the MfgPro230 xS’ PA 12 parts have proven to allow for the design and manufacture of racing parts that were otherwise deemed not able to be manufactured. The ability to make running parts or to rapid prototype parts before production for test fitting has proven incredibly invaluable.

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