China3D printingNet, June 30, New Zealand car manufacturer Rodin Cars revealed that its upcoming “FZERO” super sports car will be equipped with a 3D printed gearbox.
The vehicle’s transmission is considered the first of its kind and includes a hydraulically controlled differential to help manage the torque produced by its 1,000 bhp engine, which Rodin made to make it “faster than contemporary F1 cars.”
By cooperating with 3D Systems to 3D print custom gearboxes, instead of sticking to traditional casting and milling, Rodin Cars (Rodin) It has been able to make it smaller, lighter and flexible enough to withstand the harsh test of track day events.
“For the Rodin FZERO transmission, we have specific standards that we want to meet in terms of weight and durability,” said David Dicker, founder of Rodin Cars. “Due to the size and quality required for such a large component, it can only be printed on 3D Systems’ DMP Factory 500 machine. We were unable to find another AM supplier that could provide a similar solution for our needs.
3D printing allows us to design and create components that cannot be achieved using traditional manufacturing methods. “
Rodin’s legal road racing
Rodin Cars, headquartered in a remote area on the South Island of New Zealand, is an independent supercar manufacturer, keen to push the limits of legal single-seaters on the road. The company works in its 550-hectare test complex, which includes three tracks and a production facility equipped with 3D printing equipment. The company launched its first rail car in 2019, equipped with a Rodin “FZED” with a speed of 300 kilometers per hour. .
The FZED is equipped with a semi-automatic paddle shift gearbox developed by the engineering company Ricardo, and uses a paint similar to that of the Lotus F1 car, which can produce an impressive 675 bhp, allowing it to reach 100 kph in just 2.9 seconds. Now, Rodin Cars is not satisfied with the performance achieved in the first effort, and decided to build a faster car equipped with a customized V10 engine with a speed of up to 1,000 bhp.
However, in order to adapt to this extra power, Rodin Cars had to develop a redesigned gearbox for FZERO, because the use of ordinary magnesium casting and machining would make it too heavy and fragile in the bumps of the track day, so The company has now turned to 3D Systems to help build titanium alternatives.
Rodin Cars’ 3D printed gearbox. Photo courtesy of 3D Systems.
3D printingWorld’s first
During the 18-month arduous design process of the gearbox, Rodin Cars once again collaborated with Ricardo and also established a partnership with 3D Systems’ Application Innovation Group (AIG). By working closely with Rodin Cars engineers in Belgium and the United States, and using the DMP Factory 500 system, the AIG team was finally able to produce a unique eight-speed sequential transmission system.
Due to its complicated internal channels, thin-walled bearing structure and a total weight of only 68 kg, 3D Systems stated that the resulting gearbox cannot be manufactured in any other way. The part was originally produced in Belgium, not only has been customized to fit a specific gear ratio, but also has a compact geometry designed to enable the new FZERO to reach its limits without damage.
After the gearbox was successfully redesigned, it was shipped to Rodin Cars for mass production, and the company also installed the DMP Factory 500 system. In addition to one of the 3D Systems, the company also 3D printed its upcoming super sports car Hundreds of other customized parts. The SLA machine serves as a means of creating tools for FZERO’s carbon fiber form.
Now that it is said to have reached the “final stage of development”, FZERO will soon offer two variants: a 700bhp version with a naturally aspirated engine and a 1,000bhp turbocharged model. Although the pricing of the supercar has not yet been announced, its predecessor’s £600,000 price tag shows that the company’s innovation will bring the same extravagance to potential buyers.
Kevin Baughey, Head of Transportation and Motorsports at 3D Systems, concluded: “Additive manufacturing enables industry leaders to break through the limits and stand out.” Parts can also provide lighter, more durable, and more beautiful vehicles.
This is the fusion of the art of design with the science of high-performance cars and motorsports. “
The concept image of Rodin Cars’ upcoming FZERO supercar. The picture comes from Rodin Motors.
Take 3D printing to its extreme
Although 3D printing has long been used for car prototyping, the technology has now developed to the point where it can be used to make cutting-edge end-use supercar parts. Recently, the UK-based Arash Motor Company adopted MakerBot 3D printing in the production of its latest supercar components.Similarly, the design engineering company CALLUM has used MakerBot’s METHOD X 3D printer to produce prototypes, tools, and small batch components for R-Reforged’s one-time tuning Aston Martin Vanquish. The 25 customized supercars use additive-manufactured brake ducts and limited edition instruments, which are manufactured in-house at a lower cost.
In more peculiar situations, car companies such as Czinger even use 3D printing to produce parts for fast supercars, such as the 1,250 bhp $1.7 million “21C”. Most of the hand-assembled street-legal rocket ships were built with SLM Solutions, which helped 3D print its Inconel exhaust system and titanium windshield components.
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