Bugatti announced in early 2018 that the company has started developing the first mass-produced 3D printed brake calipers, which are intended for future models. In preparation for mass production of this brake caliper, Bugatti also carried out a number of rigorous bench testing. For Bugatti seeking extreme speed, this move is not surprising.
Volkswagen Group posted a video online showing the Bugatti engineer team using a 6.4-pound titanium brake caliper in a bench test. The product has incredibly high loads. As shown in the figure above, simulated braking can generate a large amount of thermal energy, which makes the rotor appear bright orange and burst into flames.
Lightweight, production capacity layout, black technology, forward-looking technology, Bugatti 3D printed brake calipers, Bugatti titanium brake calipers, Bugatti lightweight brake calipers
During the entire process, the brake caliper was operating normally, and the rotor could be completely stopped without any problems. Given that this 3D brake caliper is designed to brake heavy vehicles at high speeds, it is not surprising that the above test results appear.
The 3D printed caliper is 5 pounds lighter than Chiron's caliper. The caliper is made of 2213 layers of titanium powder. The engineer team uses laser technology. The entire process takes 45 hours. The team then cleaned up the remaining powder and processed the semi-finished product in an oven at 1292 degrees Fahrenheit (about 700 degrees Celsius). Finally, the product also needs to undergo mechanical processing, physical and chemical treatments to ensure the strength of titanium. This 3D titanium brake caliper is not only cool in appearance, but also durable.