Advanced manufacturing group CRP is known for using 3D printing technology to produce high-speed vehicles described with adjectives like “super”, such as their Energic all-electric “superbike”. In their latest project with Kepler Motors and World Speed Record Holder Russ Wicks, the company brought both 3D printing and amped up adjectives to the drawing board to create the MOTION hypercar, an auto engineered with optimized components and materials to obtain peak performance.
In seeking out a Formula 1 and 3D printing expert, Kepler Motors turned to CRP Group to 3D print low-run parts for the production 50 MOTION hypercars. Soon, they realized that, not only could CRP’s 3D printing be used to directly manufacture individual parts, but also to create patterns for investment casting. This allowed Kepler to further take advantage of the unique design possibilities of 3D printing to cast titanium uprights for the MOTION series. The auto company was also able to leverage CRP’s rapid casting and CNC machining to further craft their cars.
Director of Operations for CRP USA, Stewart Davis, elaborated, “It is very common for a company to rethink their design as soon as they understand the potential with 3D printing. Once an engineer understands the possibility of manufacturing highly complex designs and shapes using additive manufacturing technology and applications, shapes that could not be manufactured by traditional processes, they begin designing without limitations. By combining 3D printing, rapid casting and precision CNC machining, engineers can think outside of traditional manufacturing methods and design complex, intricate parts.”
Among the features unique to the MOTION is its dual powertrain, made up of a 550hp Twin-Turbo V6, driving the rear wheels separately from the two electric motors connected to the front, which allows the hypercar to achieve 800 horsepower. With this, the MOTION can go from 0 to 60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds and reach up to speeds greater than 200 mph. The chassis and body of the MOTION is made up of a a carbon fiber composite monocoque. To ensure that the MOTION would be able to endure the forces of physics, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was applied to the car’s design, simulating various load scenarios virtually before creating some of the car’s parts. As a result, F1-style double wishbones, two of the car’s most elaborate and important components, were optimally designed to connect to the wheels via the titanium uprights that make up pushrod suspension system. The suspension’s complex uprights, then, were designed and manufactured to be as lightweight as possible, while giving the MOTION the ability to handle a variety of forces.
Russ Wicks, Founder of Kepler Motors, explained why the titanium uprights, and the 3D printing used to cast them, were crucial for the car’s design and performance, “Lightweight, strength and durability is essential for the hypercar to achieve its performance. Cast titanium is top-of-the-line technology for this application, which for the Kepler MOTION was the only choice. Other cars use aluminum cast or billet for this application with a bulky, weaker and heavier result. Typically, aluminum is used for the uprights and the material thickness is increased, which reduces the flexibility of the design. Because of the increased material thickness, accuracy of the machining is critical to ensure correct position of components as well as complicated angles of machined faces. This makes CNC machiningimperative, yet can restrict our design creativity. Working with CRP Meccanica allowed us to streamline the process. Using their laser sintering additive manufacturing technology to 3D print the pattern for casting the upright in titanium allowed us to design an optimal lightweight and strong part with no compromises. CRP Meccanica managed the entire production process – design to end part. They took the 3D printed upright patterns to the foundry, cast the upright patterns in titanium, precision CNC machined the titanium uprights, conducted the FEA analysis and inspected the final uprights. The results were better than we could have imagine.”
CRP Group is growing to become an important player in the motorsports, space, defense, and automotive fields, as they have the capability to apply 3D printing technology and their high-performance materials to the design of critical components. For that reason, Engineering Director at Kepler Derk Hartland, believed CRP to be the appropriate partner for the project, “We partnered with CRP Group and their network of companies because they are experts in F1 and know how to apply additive manufacturing to the overall design process. Being able to leverage the knowledge of Stewart Davis and his team was critical to the rethinking how we designed our upright. CRP Meccanica was a pivotal part of our design process,” said Hartland. “Cast titanium is an art form and it requires expertise and experience to create an optimal part. The companies of CRP Group were very helpful, professional and a pleasure to work with throughout the entire project.”
In engineering such vehicles as the MOTION hypercar, CRP demonstrates that, even if 3D printing isn’t used for the direct production of components, it can play a vital role aiding traditional manufacturing techniques to create complex components.
