Additive manufacturing applications in custom race car components with 3D modeling

Abstract

This thesis evaluates the feasibility of the implementation of additive manufacturing (AM) techniques for three chosen metal race car components, which are a suspension mounting bracket, a steering knuckle (also known as an upright), and an engine mounting bracket, consisting of two separate parts. According to the literature review and extensive research in this area, the main types of AM, with a special focus on metal additive manufacturing (MAM), created a baseline for the selection of relevant techniques. The components were modeled in a CAD environment by applying a reverse engineering approach, and after assigning a proper material, the drawings were made and the parts 3D-printed purely for visualization purposes, i.e., using a material other than metal. Following this, the finite element analysis (FEA) was conducted, employing a static structural analysis and creating contour plots of total deformation and equivalent stress. Then the FEA results were compared with a table containing the material parameters. In all cases, the comparison signified a general validity and an appropriate safety margin under the static loading. Eventually, directed energy deposition (DED) and laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) were suggested as the most suitable options. Assuming that all the requirements are met after the additional analysis and testing, it may be stated that these AM methods show strong potential for real-world production of the selected components and indicate possibilities for enhanced future deployment of AM applications in the motorsports industry, particularly Formula 1.