Formula 1 has long been a fervent adopter of additive manufacturing, but did you know that its American cousin, NASCAR, has also been adopting the technology? A fact that has only been cemented with a new press release from the car racing giant announcing that NASCAR has chosen Stratasys as its official 3D printing partner for the design of parts and tools. Stratasys solutions will also be used in NASCAR’s new state-of-the-art 3D printing lab set to open at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina.
Additive manufacturing is increasingly being adopted in the automotive sector, especially in motor racing, for its benefits in lightweighting and shortening delays in parts. Indeed, NASCAR itself has been using 3D printing for quite some time, announcing for example in 2022 that it would be using Stratasys’ technologies to put 3D printed production parts in all NASCAR Next Gen racecars. This official partnership just shows how serious the auto racing sanctioning and operating company is about additive manufacturing.
A NASCAR engineer attaches a 3D printed duct (photo credits: Business Wire)
NASCAR Is Increasing 3D Printing Use
As mentioned, this is not exactly new, in that NASCAR has had a relationship with Stratasys and other 3D printing technologies for a few years now. What is notable is that not only will this cement Stratasys’ role as a critical technology provider for NASCAR but it also seems that it will help NASCAR to scale up its additive manufacturing capabilities. Namely, Stratasys will be increasing the FDM capabilities already present within the NASCAR R&D center, which already boasts F370, 450mc, F900 and NEO800 3D printers, enabling larger-scale part production. The NEO800 3D printer will also expand the offerings of the R&D center from FDM to also integrate stereolithography.
“Partnering with Stratasys allows NASCAR to push the boundaries of performance and accuracy like never before,” explains John Probst, executive vice president, chief racing development officer at NASCAR. “Their 3D printing technology empowers us to quickly iterate and optimize components, ensuring that our staff has the best possible machines to stay ahead in this high-stakes environment. Stratasys has proven to be a valuable partner, and this agreement represents our commitment to staying at the forefront of motorsports innovation.”
3D printing will be used by NASCAR for faster design cycles and on-demand production of custom components. Possible applications including aerodynamic testing, prototyping and production parts with high-precision tooling. In fact, engineers at NASCAR have already worked with Stratasys on solutions for NASCAR Cup Series cars. Apparently, every vehicle on the track uses 3D printed parts currently.
One example comes from working with Stratasys Direct Manufacturing for a cold air inlet vent made with a H350 SAF printer and plant-based Nylon11. This part was used to force air into the car to cool the driver. An additional example is a NACA duct located on the lower engine panel to vent out hot air, which was made using ULTEM 9085 and an FDM 3D printer.
Some of the Stratasys printers that are available to NASCAR (photo credits: Stratasys)
“Our partnership with NASCAR allows Stratasys to showcase the unique advantages of 3D printing in motorsports,” concludes Rich Garrity, chief business unit officer at Stratasys. “From on-demand manufacturing of custom components to speeding up the design cycle, we’re helping NASCAR with faster production times and enhanced part performance. Furthermore, our work in high-performance environments like NASCAR spurs innovation in the production of commercial vehicles, demonstrating the broader impact of additive manufacturing across the automotive industry.”
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*Cover Photo Credits: NASCAR