Automotive enthusiasts from around the world have converged on the South of England for the event as the GOODWOOD Festival of Speed 2022 officially opens on 26 June 2022.
The Festival of Speed saw exhibitors showcasing a wide range of3D printed parts, reflecting the growing demand for the technology in the automotive sector, whether it be tools or motorbike components, which can be used to enhance the performance of key components. Among them was UK-based car manufacturer Czinger Vehicles, whose large 3D printed supercar, the 21C, a performance monster with 1,250bhp, really stole the show. The company's founder, Kevin Czinger, spoke at the event, revealing all about the company's first use of the Dispersive Adaptive Production System (DAPS), developed by his other company, Divergent Technologies.
The Divergent Adaptive Production System (DAPS) developed by Divergent
The Divergent Adaptive Production System (DAPS) is said to be a complete software and hardware solution designed to replace traditional automotive manufacturing. Turning complexity into simplicity, it is a complete modular digital factory for complex structures. Given a set of digital inputs, the machine automatically calculates the engineering, 3D printing and assembly of any complex structure. At the same time, the system is able to link seamlessly between the different models manufactured. Czinger explains the chassis and suspension of the 21C, which is almost entirely 3D printed, and that in the future he plans to use DAPS technology to achieve greater integration of components.
△Czinger 21C supercar at the 2022 GOODWOOD Festival of Speed
"If you look at the chassis itself, almost all of the frame structure was designed, printed and assembled using DAPS," Czinger explains. "The shock absorbers and things like that are 3D printed. The induction and exhaust components of the engine, meanwhile, are all manufactured using the technology. I want to emphasise that this is the first stage of this type of 3D printing and that in the future you will see more advanced ones that use two different subsystems to create a unified system."
The debut of the Czinger 21C
Ahead of this year's Festival of Speed, Czinger has managed to attract unprecedented media attention.
△The engine compartment of the Czinger 21C
The 21C's time at Laguna Seca was said to have broken the production car's lap record and did not perform optimally due to the track. What's more, Czinger explains that this is also just the beginning of the DAPS. In the future, with the help of the technology, it will soon be possible to unlock performance gains that are simply not possible with conventional car manufacturing.
"At a more advanced stage, we will break through the 'functional integration' of the brake nodes by combining the column at the front of the suspension with the brake calipers," claims Czinger. "This reduces the mass of the combined structure by 40%. Imagine that you have reduced each corner of the two main subsystems by five kilograms or more, and at the same time you have been able to optimise the structure and increase the stiffness by around 30 per cent."
According to Czinger, suggesting that such a vision is not far away, the company plans to continue building "ever more groundbreaking cars", with the company's latest model due to debut in Pebble Beach in August 2022.
Car interior prototyping
While 21C was undoubtedly the most visible 3D printing application at the event, other exhibitors at the show were already using the technology for prototyping inside cars.
One of those exhibitors, Teng Tools, has found it easier to create ergonomic prototyping tools for interior and customer use since installing its first 3D printer in 2018.
Ohlins, which announced its adoption of Exmet 3D printing back in 2013, also opened up about the technology at the event. According to MTB Sales and Marketing Manager Alex Boyle, manufacturing through 3D printing technology, for example, assembly forks and prototype cylinder head gaskets.
Elsewhere, Thornton Hundred Motorcycles revealed that it not only deploys 3D printing in the production of custom motorbike parts, but also uses 3D scanning technology. Alex Minshall, the company's design engineering manager, was at the company's showcase to explain how these technologies have helped them, ensuring the quality of the final product and developing those that can improve performance, such as thermally optimised supercharger housings.
Motorbike with Thornton Hundred Motorcycles custom supercharger housing
Wider use of 3D printing technology
In the automotive static display area, another section of manufacturers showcased 3D printed parts for vehicles with enhanced performance. This shows that Czinger Vehicles is not the only company to have adopted this technology for innovation. For example, Radford, backed by F1 world champion Jenson Button, presented a re-imagining of the Lotus Type 62-2 at the event, which contained more than 500 Stratasys Direct - 3D printed components.
Manufacturers such as Mercedes, also showcased previously unseen, cars with 3D printed components at the show, including the company's Vision EQXX concept car.
The Mercedes Vision EQXX concept car
The all-electric car, which can travel up to 1,008 kilometres on a full charge, is also said to feature 3D printed components designed to reduce weight by 15-20% without compromising reliability.
Δ2023 New M3 Touring with 3D printed lip spoiler
Similarly, BMW unveiled the new 2023 M3 Touring at the event, which has a 3D printed lip spoiler fitted above the rear windscreen.
