Stratasys has been named an official partner of Toyota Racing Development (TRD). Through the partnership, TRD is expanding its use of AM, from prototyping to end-use parts. The partnership is set to make its debut with 3D printed production parts on the forthcoming Toyota GR86 for the GR Cup – a new single-make racing series sanctioned by SRO America.
“Additive manufacturing has allowed us to quickly iterate, design, and create parts for our race vehicles in a way that would have been far more expensive or labor-intensive through traditional manufacturing methods,” said David Wilson, President of TRD. “By partnering with Stratasys we are able to advance our manufacturing practices beyond what is currently possible and really harness the possibilities of additive manufacturing for production parts.”
Manufacturing on Demand
Stratasys Fortus 450MC
TRD is expanding its use of additive manufacturing from prototyping to end-use parts by integrating the Stratasys Fortus 450mc, F370, and the new composite-ready F370CR 3D printers into its manufacturing facilities in Salisbury, N.C. and Costa Mesa, Calif. The industrial-grade 3D printers will be used to create end-use parts, including an FDM Nylon 12CF hood vent for its new production vehicle – the Toyota GR86 – and a wide range of end-use parts across the TRD product portfolio. TRD has been a long-standing customer of Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, utilizing various additive manufacturing technologies for prototyping. TRD will further utilize Stratasys Direct services to 3D print a clamp for the GR86, utilizing the Stratasys H350 3D printer, powered by SAF technology, using the Stratasys High Yield PA11 material.
“This new partnership represents a significant moment in the evolution of additive manufacturing for high-performance automotive racing applications,” said Pat Carey, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for Stratasys. “We will partner with TRD to support their efforts as they further adopt, prove out, and integrate additive manufacturing into their production as a prototyping, tooling, and end-use parts solution across the GR86 and TRD custom parts as well.”
Toyota Racing Development plans to continue integrating additive manufacturing into its manufacturing processes for TRD-branded vehicles and racing cars. The GR Cup, featuring the GR86, is set to begin in 2023.
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Scuderia Ferrari did again, now using 3D printing for sensor mounts: It should be noted that the tests were conducted before the recent underwhelming results, which, however, seem to be due to bad luck more than lackluster vehicle performance. According to a LinkedIn post by Andrew Cunningham, Additive Manufacturing Product Development Engineer at General Motors (another company that has embraced AM at various levels), “the Scuderia tested a new front wing that weekend and likely wanted to measure inboard and outboard front wing height under pitch, roll, and heave via laser ride height sensors.”
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Author: Edward Wakefield
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