As we all know, the performance requirements of racing components in rallying are very high. Jari-Matti Latvala, a Finnish rally drive and entrepreneur, has participated in rallying almost all his life. His company JML-Sports is committed to bringing the old rally cars of the 80s and 90s back to today. However, the supply of spare parts and spare parts for these cars are extremely limited, and the manufacturing process is often complicated and expensive. In 2020, Matti and his team made the innovative decision to use 3D printing technology to start manufacturing complex racing parts themselves in order to bring classic racing cars back to the field.
3D printing can greatly speed up the production of parts. Parts that used to take weeks to complete can now be made in just one night. There are already many 3D printed parts used in racing cars. 3D printed parts can outperform original parts. Now, they only need to choose the right material to make parts with acid and alkali corrosion resistance, high-temperature resistance, and high mechanical strength by 3D printing.
How to use 3D printing to recreate a classic race car
A year ago, Jari-Matti and his team started his current rally project with the 1992 International Sweden Rally-winning car, a Toyota Celica ST165 driven by Mats Jonsson. The car was received in pieces and needed to be reassembled into a complete car. During the rebuild, the car was missing some key parts that were difficult or impossible to obtain.
Turbo intake duct with optimal airflow
When the team rebuilt, the turbo intake pipe was missing. There is a lot of air flowing through the intake duct, which requires high mechanical strength and good heat resistance. With 3D printing, it is possible to create a perfectly assembled intake duct and optimize airflow for maximum performance.
3D printed turbo intake pipe points:
• Changing duct diameters optimized for airflow and matched to the car's original position;
• From design to part fabrication in hours at a fraction of the cost of the original part;
• This part has been stress and stress tested to ensure functionality in the harsh rally environment.
Intake pipes with complex geometries
The intake duct is another essential part of the same assembly, which must withstand the constant mechanical stress of a rally environment. Thanks to 3D printing, the multi-stage manufacturing process used to create the original parts can be replaced. Using 3D technology, the properties of the parts can also be optimized. The team chose DSM’s carbon fiber reinforced polyamide to manufacture these parts. The material has high tensile strength and modulus while maintaining its properties at elevated temperatures.
The main points of the 3D printed air intake spare parts:
• Complete 3D modeling, optimization, and 3D printing of parts under the same roof. The part was ready to be tested the next day from that idea.
• Manufacturing of parts is more cost-effective as no expensive tooling or multi-stage manufacturing process is required.
• This part has been validated for the harsh rally environment through stress and stress testing.
JR can provide 3D printing technology in a variety of materials. For metal racing parts, you can choose light-weight high-strength aluminum or aluminum alloy materials, or optimize the structural design of the parts; for plastic parts, we can provide nylon, resin, and other materials. For more information on 3D printing, please feel free to contact us.