Motorsport

Turbocharger design is intricate because of the need for incremental efficiency and maximum output at all time. Made of complex shapes, this kind of motor part is very challenging to manufacture by casting or machining. GF Machining Solutions' Metal Additive Manufacturing system offers for a complete process solution, allowing seamlessly connecting without losing reference points.

• Process feasibility for printing and post-process operations
• Double-walled single block part
• Reference point for post-processing
• Uniform wall thickness

A hydraulic gear box manifold body allowing for gear shift control on the gearbox is a critical part in a Formula 1 car. Machined on the 5-Axis MILL P 800 U from a metal billet to super fine finish, it can be directly assembled. With only the application of a protective coating, there is no need for an extra finishing step.

• Very high surface finish (Ra 0.8 µm) and pitch accuracy
• Complex shapes with deep holes
• Concentricity, flatness and bore diameters in one single process
• Perfect sealing on valves

The drag reduction system is a form of driver-adjustable bodywork aimed at reducing aerodynamic drag in order to increase top speed and promote overtaking. The piston guide part of this system was machined on the MILL P 800 from a titanium bar to generate the desired design requirements.

• Thin-walled part with a center of gravity designed for best performance at high speeds
• Achieve surface flatness < 10 µm
• Concentricity of shaft holes < 8 µm

Suspension mechanisms are motorsport parts with complex profiles, where shaft bores need to be in tandem between the left and right sides. In this example, the front suspension rocker was machined on the MILL P 800 from a titanium bar, and finishing was done in combination with Wire-cutting EDM. Achievements were:

• Small profiles and smooth contours with a 20'000 rpm HSK Step-Tec Spindle
• Very high surface finish (Ra 0.4 µm)
• Splines and gear profiles generated with Wire-cutting EDM
• Post processing such as heat treatment was ensured with System 3R tooling

Reducing part weight wherever it is possible without compromising on performance, that's the kind of challenge that producers of exhaust parts face in the motorsport industry. This manifold exhaust housing was first produced by the Additive Manufacturing solution DMP 350, then separated and finished with a Wire-cutting CUT E. The whole process was coordinated with our landmark 3DExpert™ software. The combination of these technologies allowed:

• Complicated thin wall thickness with uniform surface requirements
• Reduce number of parts from 20 to 1 and increase efficiency of engine
• Optimize lead time to market

GF Machining Solutions has been a pioneer in offering solutions to the motorsport industry for over 3 decades.

Matching their needs with our Milling, EDM and Additive Manufacturing technologies, we help the leading players of the industry achieve process reliability and flexibility, while staying ahead and picking up every technical challenge.