Motorsport is the vane of the development of the automobile industry. In order to win the competition, car manufacturers will use the best technology and materials for the manufacture of participating vehicles. The manufacturing technology used in the manufacture of racing cars is always higher than that of civilian vehicles in the same period. In the future, some of the technologies used in the manufacture of racing cars will be applied in the manufacture of civilian vehicles.
The Spyros Panopoulos team, which has long been committed to the manufacture and innovation of racing components, has developed turbochargers, impellers, pistons and other powertrain components for extreme racing sports through its patented technology and advanced materials. After years of development, on the road of technological innovation, the Panopoulos team has integrated 3D printing technology and creative design, and used these technologies to provide technical support for weight loss and improved power performance of racing cars and super sports cars.
It is worth expecting that in the super sports car development project carried out by the Panopoulos team, a variety of 3D printed parts have been applied, including carbon fiber 3D printed connecting rods, ceramic 3D printed pistons and other innovative parts. It was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2021.
In this issue, 3D Science Valley and Gu You will be the first to look at the cutting-edge applications of 3D printing from the racing manufacturing team and review the progress of 3D printing applications in the field of civil automobile manufacturing.
Pursue the ultimate lightweight
Racing and aircraft parts manufacturing team Spyros Panopoulos launched a super sports car development project "Chaos", which includes two different configurations of super sports cars. The two versions are similar in that they are equipped with a 4 liter V10 aluminum alloy engine with 20 injectors, 40 valves, a titanium crankshaft, titanium / inconel valves, and a large carbon fiber and titanium alloy. A twin turbocharger whose turbine is made of ceramic composite material.
One of the sports cars equipped with titanium alloy 3D printed pistons and connecting rods can accelerate to 11,000 rpm and has 2,000 horsepower.
3D printed carbon fiber connecting rod and ceramic piston
In another configuration sports car, the engine speed is increased to 12,000 rpm. This sports car is equipped with carbon fiber connecting rods and 3D printed ceramic composite pistons. Ceramic composite materials are known for their high strength, light weight, hardness and almost complete thermal expansion resistance, and can be used as materials for space shuttle manufacturing. The maximum power of the sports car is not less than 3,000 horsepower.
The Spyros Panopoulos team was committed to manufacturing connecting rods, turbochargers, valves, engine blocks, flywheels and complete engines in extreme racing as early as 1997. The use of new materials, advanced manufacturing technology and design methods are the driving forces for them to maintain innovative vitality and break through the extreme power of vehicles in the manufacture of racing powertrain components. The Panopoulos team has won many innovations, patented technologies and achievements.
For example, in the application of new materials, the Panopoulos team used Tennalum alloy materials for racing in 2015. This alloy has a yield strength of up to 700 MPa (more than 30% higher than 7075 alloy) and good ductility. And corrosion resistance similar to 7075 and other functions beneficial to high-performance component / equipment designers. In terms of strength / weight ratio, Tennalum is 33% higher than 7075.
The Panopoulos team has a patented technology for the design and manufacture of turbocharged impellers-Gen2. The impellers manufactured with this technology have 10 blades and the material is "super alloy 970 mpa". The material is 43% lighter than titanium Ti6AL4v, but the strength is 35 %. This turbocharger compressor wheel has been revolutionized in aerodynamics, with the radially inward portion of its primary blades sweeping upward into the upper area of the compressor. Thanks to the optimized geometry, its performance is improved by 35-80%. In 2016, the team used carbon fiber compressor covers in turbochargers and used patented Gen2 technology to make turbocharger impellers of carbon fiber and Lauren fiber composite materials that are 8-10 times lighter than aluminum.
In recent years, Panopoulos has conducted research on next-generation materials, additive manufacturing, and generative design methods. In 2019, they made significant progress in this area.
3D printed carbon fiber connecting rod
The 3D printed carbon fiber connecting rod is also a connecting rod installed in one of the sports cars of the "Chaos" project. Panopoulos developed and designed 3D printed pistons for racing cars. Materials include H13 stainless steel and Ti6AL4v titanium alloy.
The Panopoulos team developed the creative design software "anadiaplasi" for the development of additive manufacturing automotive parts, and designed a series of 3D printed parts through the anadiaplasi, including 3D printed ceramic, titanium alloy connecting rods, pistons, and safety Sex parts brake caliper.
The light weight achieved by 3D printing and generative design is one of the important weights for improving the power of super sports cars. According to Panopoulos, their team ’s weight reduction goal for the first mass-produced sports car is a total vehicle weight of less than 1,150 kilograms. Each kilogram of weight reduction can produce more than 2 horsepower. Be prepared. In terms of acceleration, their technology is ready to accelerate to 100 km / h in 2 seconds and 400 km / h in 7 seconds.
The above is still not the full picture of the "Chaos" supercar. It is expected that all its technology will be visible at the Geneva Motor Show in 20201. In addition to the above 3D printed parts designed by anadiaplasi creative software, you will also see intricate LED brake light arrays, 3D printed titanium alloy exhaust pipes, carbon fiber body, and an integrated chassis made of a thermosetting material. This is a material that can be used to make body armor, its strength is 1.6 times that of aramid.
Although there are doubts about the application of 3D printing technology in the field of automobile manufacturing, the challenges that restrict 3D printing towards mass production of automotive parts have not yet been completely overcome. However, there are a group of companies that are brave enough to try new technologies. When there is uncertainty about the future, they continue to optimize the technical solutions of additive manufacturing. They are in terms of additive manufacturing design, material performance and cost, printing quality and efficiency. , Promote the rapid development of 3D printing technology in the application of automobile parts manufacturing.