Formula 1’s most successful teamScuderia Ferrarihas turned to 3D printing in an effort to improve the aerodynamic performance of its challenger for this year’s world title.
Earlier this season, during practice at the 2022 Australian Grand Prix, the Italian outfit deployed 3D printed sensor mounts onboard its F1-75 race cars. According to Andrew Cunningham, the eagle-eyedGeneral Motors（通用汽车）发现了零件的工程师，他们很可能被用来将电子设备固定在适当的位置，以评估新的前机翼配置的功效。
“These 3D printed sensor mounts were fitted on the Scuderia Ferrari F1-75 during the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix Friday practice session,” Cunninghamexplained via a Linkedin post。“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.”
法拉利的低调3D打印采用
Having raced in Formula 1 since 1950, winning fifteen world drivers’ titles and sixteen constructors’ championships, Ferrari understandably remains one of the biggest brands in the automotive world. However, while the Italian manufacturer’s race and road cars tend to be surrounded by glitz, glamor and prestige, its additive manufacturing activities have tended to go under the radar in recent years.
早在2017年，据透露，Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1团队已经开始using 3D printing to develop pistonsfor an updated engine design it planned to introduce that season. At the time, it was said that additive manufacturing the parts from steel alloy provided them with greater strength and heat resistance than before, while unlocking opportunities for weight-saving via geometric optimization.
尽管不可能说出法拉利对该技术的固有和有效的采用是多么有效，但在那一年的建筑商锦标赛中确实上升到了第二位，而球队只落后于全征服的梅赛德斯M08。
Elsewhere, away from the manufacturer’s core business, enthusiasts have also previously utilized additive manufacturing in the restoration of some of its classic vehicles. As long ago as 2016, 3D printing was used to“ Restomod” 1987年法拉利328 GTSinto a Ferrari 288 GTO, while combining the technology with scanning, Redesign Sports Ltd has even managed toreverse engineer a Ferrari 225。
寻求F1冠军优势
尽管Scuderia Ferrari在澳大利亚滚滚时都领导了车手和建筑商的锦标赛，但此后，它在这两者中都占据了首位，这反映了研发对本赛季的命运的重要性。Scuderia最近的3D打印申请被GM的增材制造产品开发工程师Andrew Cunningham的侦探作品发掘出来。
Cunningham says that the sensor mounts on show that weekend are likely to have been made from unfilled or fiber-filled nylon, printed via Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) or MultiJet Fusion (MJF). Though he added that this may “raise a few eyebrows,” he explained how the technologies’ “stiffness, impact resistance and cost,” make them ideal for producing a means of holding sensors in place.
“Every time I see parts like this made with AM, I think about how much work and time is saved by not having to manufacture these via another method such as composite layups or machining,” he added. “The tape securing the wiring is not a simple household type, but aircraft leading-edge protection tape that provides high stretchability, smooth surface finish, and no residue at a high cost of ≈ $1/foot.”
Scuderia Ferrari’s sensor mounts follow aChronoGP reportdating back to March, which suggested that the team had started 3D printing cylinder block elements of the engine of this year’s car. Specifically, leveraging a form of Selective Laser Melting (SLM), the team is said to have integrated cooling channels into redesigned piston heads, in such a way that it has improved the engine’s top-end mileage.
On the roadcar side of its business, Ferrari has also stepped up its adoption of additive manufacturing recently, by using it to optimize the performance of the newSP48 Unica。一次性超级跑车不仅是使用该技术进行的原型制作的，而且还具有前摄入量的独特格栅，这些格栅将3D印刷成镶嵌图案。
Additive manufacturing in Formula 1
鉴于一级方程式赛车比赛的团队赛车需要快速迭代，即使这项运动的高度竞争意味着他们并不总是透露这一点，也就不足为奇了。本月初，在接受3D印刷行业的采访中，帕特·华纳（Pat Warner）透露了这一点Alpine F1汽车上的70％的车身是原型的通过3D打印。
这Williams Racing团队也使用了Nexa3D’sNXE400自2021赛季开始以来的系统3D print polymer motorsport parts。与高山类似，该团队利用该技术来制造功能性风洞组件，旨在帮助其更好地了解其赛车的空气动力学特性。
On the flipside, fewer teams have taken the step to metal 3D printing end-use parts of their cars, despiteScalMalloy被批准为一级方程式applications two years ago. One outfit that has made progress in this area isAlfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN，他的2021年‘C41’ car featured 304 3D printed parts, and 2022 challenger is said to incorporate unique结构金属3D印刷方程式1组件。
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特色图像显示了Scuderia Ferrari的2022 Formula 1汽车的前部的3D打印传感器安装座。通过安德鲁·坎宁安（Andrew Cunningham）的照片。
