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Formula One's governing body has announced that it has come to a settlement with Scuderia Ferrari after investigations into its 2019 power unit, considered the most powered in F1.
HAhahaahah!!godlameroso wrote:It's the mullet of intercooler setups.
godlameroso wrote:It's the mullet of intercooler setups.
It's not a new material, but steel, instead of aluminium. Just in a hollow honeycomb structure. Which will make it as light or lighter than alu, but more resilient. Only possible with 3D printing.FrukostScones wrote:hard too understand but Ferrari trying to use a new material and way of manufacturing for the pistons...
it.motorsport.com
https://translate.google.com/translate? ... t=&act=url
maybe a native speaker could tell more...
Aluminium alloys are lighter than steel allows, but they have less ability to resist deformation and not break in extreme temperatures. Extra weight in moving parts like pistons is a big issue, so the focus has been on finding a solution that performs better and has more reliability.
To help its quest in finding the right alloy, Maranello engineers are evaluating the latest 3D printing technologies (known in the industry as Additive Manufacturing).
Using this technique allows engineers to build up thin layers on material one at a time, so it is possible to create complex shapes that have not been possible before using traditional casting and machining methods.
The degree of freedom that comes from 3D Printing, allied to the speed of production, has opened up a new frontier of design development for something that was once limited to prototyping plastic parts for wind tunnel models.
The use of materials like steel alloys – which in normal casting processes would be unsuitable for the production of an F1 piston – can now be considered because you no longer have to manufacture full surfaces. Honeycomb designs are possible.
Such honeycomb concepts bring the advantage of strength without the drawback of weight.
A minimum weight would not preclude optimising the strength or durability of the piston, nor its weight distribution. Given vernacular, I can't be sure if they mean piston head or connecting rod when they say "piston."Blackout wrote:Sounds awesome but can such a 3d printed piston withstand the incredible forces and temperatures of an F1 engine?
It's an industrial process, so the answer is yes with the required development and testing.Blackout wrote:Sounds awesome but can such a 3d printed piston withstand the incredible forces and temperatures of an F1 engine?
I take it you are referring to this?godlameroso wrote:It should in theory be beneficial to have a mandated minimum piston weight. You have a 300g target, instead of letting costs spiral out of control in order to manufacture a piston that's a few grams lighter. If they can make a 300g steel alloy piston that would be a huge game changer.