How 3D-printed parts changed the NASCAR Cup Series

In 2021, NASCAR unveiled its Next Gen platform that included a number of rule changes from the previous iteration. Now fully symmetrical and using composite body panels instead of metal, the latest NASCAR vehicles are more like the street versions of the Chevrolet Camaro, the Ford Mustang, and the Toyota TRD Camry.

Race car driving isn’t an inexpensive sport, and one of the goals for the Next Gen platform was to reduce operating costs and create parity across the board. Technique Chassis, the sole chassis manufacturer for the NASCAR Cup Series, builds a modular offering in three parts. As a result, everyone is starting with the same platform, and finding a competitive advantage is in the tiniest details.  

One smart way to differentiate from the competition is 3D-printed parts. But this isn’t your hobbyist level 3D printing. 

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing

Minnesota-based Stratasys specializes in “additive manufacturing,” the process of creating an object by building it one layer at a time. Stratesys Senior Global Director of Automotive & Mobility Fadi Abro explains that this term is synonymous with 3D printing. However, the industry often reserves that description for hobby-level projects on smaller, non-industrial printers, while additive manufacturing represents robust industrial solutions.

Additive manufacturing is the exact inverse of subtractive manufacturing, which requires cutting away at a solid chunk of material to achieve a final product. In art terms, additive manufacturing would be like sculpting with modeling clay while subtractive is akin to carving a shape from a block of marble. As it relates to NASCAR, Stratasys provides parts like ducts, covers, brackets, and tubing. Together with the racing organization, Stratasys reviews the current driver needs and makes recommendations for other parts and modifications. 

Not long ago, the standard part-making process was CNC (computer numerically controlled) manufacturing, which relates to the computerized operation of machine tools. CNC is a subtractive process, which Abro says is more limiting than additive manufacturing. 

“You get a lot more freedom of design,” he says. “If you’re cutting into a block, you can’t make a 90-degree turn, and that limits your shapes and designs. You either have to flip the block or move the block or angle the block, and sometimes you can’t get to the angle. We always say complexity is free with the additive process, whereas in the more traditional methods complexity can really increase the price and the lead time as the design elements make it a lot more difficult.” 

The kind of printers Stratasys builds aren’t the type you buy at your local electronics store, either. Each industrial-grade 3D printer costs anywhere from $20,000 to $600,000. Using this kind of equipment isn’t without precedent, and builds at SEMA’s annual extravaganza feature 3D parts we wouldn’t have dreamed of a few years ago. 

Last year, a small shop called Blazin Rods in Orange County, California used 3D printing to create the “Doughboy,” a heavily modified 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle. Designed digitally in CAD, the entire Chevelle was scanned and fitted with custom 3D parts, including carbon-fiber radiator ducts and heat exchanger outlets, integrated air ducts, and trunk lid. 

The bet on the Chevelle paid off. SEMA awarded Blazin Rodz the Best Engineered Vehicle of the Year Award for its exceptional engineering. 

The next frontier in 3D printing

In the past few months, Stratasys has been on a roll, signing an extension to its 20-year partnership with the Joe Gibbs Racing team and earning the title of “Official 3D Printing Partner of NASCAR.” Competition for this market continues to heat up, however, as there are startups and legacy companies pushing hard. Around the world, 3D printing companies abound. 

Stratasys has one major factor on its side: 35 years of experience. What’s new is that today’s printing is more accurate, it’s faster, the materials are more robust, Abro says. 

“I think what’s changed drastically over the past five to seven years has been all about material development,” he explains. “We’re seeing materials that are just incredible, whether it’s how resistant to heat they are or how strong they are compared to how much they weigh.” 

He expects the next frontier to be all about throughput, or how quickly the printer can print. 

“If you need a hundred different versions of something, you don’t want a hundred printers side by side,” Abro says. “You want to get the five to ten printers that you have printing faster. How quickly can you make a part that is still accurate, still strong, all the other things that the customer cares about, but faster?” 

NASCAR clearly cares about speed on all fronts, and 3D printing allows the racing organization to quickly test and create new components. Abra tells the story about tubing that wasn’t quite fitting with the rest of the components on a Joe Gibbs Racing car. Stratasys printed out a custom fixture for the tube that should have fit perfectly on paper, but it didn’t. As a result, JGR went back to its vendor to report a problematic part. 

In the past, the worst case scenario might have been to hammer the part until it fit. But more likely, the team would be required to machine something using a CNC, which would have meant a lot of programming and wasted materials. It’s very expensive and requires skilled labor and time, a scarce commodity. 

“The thing that these teams never have is extra time,” Abdo says. 

Many of the 3D-printed parts Joe Gibbs Racing is using are ducts. Air flow direction is incredibly important, as some cars at certain times need to harness the power of air to create downforce to prevent slipping and sliding on the track. Air is also directed toward the engine to cool it. Sometimes air is necessary to cool the driver. And sometimes the driver wants to use air to create drag to make a sharp turn. 

“It’s better, faster, cheaper,” Abro says. “it’s faster to print something than to mill it, and then it’s certainly cheaper in a multitude of different ways. Number one, there’s not as much skill required for 3D printing as there is in CNC machining; you need a more traditional manufacturing method.”

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