Chevy racing vehicles clock 80,000-plus miles this season with 3D-printed parts

One of the materials technologies that is sure to shape our future, literally and figuratively, is 3D printing. If you're not familiar with it, it's exactly what it sounds like: a machine that gives designers and engineers the ability to "print" physical, 3D objects in plastic, resin or even metal, building the item up in a series of wafer-thin layers that are fused into a single object.

Where 3D printing was once only a curiosity, manufacturers like Chevrolet have gotten into 3D printing in a big way, both as a method to quickly and cheaply create new parts for testing, and even to build parts meant to take on punishing duty in real-world cars, trucks and SUVs.

No arena is more torturous for parts than racing, which is why Chevrolet Motorsports has been a welcome test-bed for new ideas, materials and manufacturing techniques for years. If a part can survive thousands of miles of racing, there's every chance in the world it can survive for years in your day-to-day street vehicle which rarely exceeds 70 miles per hour.

Chevrolet Motorsports has gone all-in on 3D printing in recent years. Chevy recently announced that just this season, Chevrolet racing vehicles in road racing, INDYCAR, NASCAR and off-road racing have accumulated over 80,000 racing miles while utilizing 3D printed parts. It's an important milestone, that hints at a time when you might not buy a part or accessory for your Chevy, but print it at home in your garage.
 

“Chevrolet has a long history of technology transfer between our motorsports and production teams, and this is a perfect example of our approach,” said Jim Campbell, GM VP over Performance and Motorsports. “GM’s 3D-printing capability speeds up our learning cycles and, in turn, these racetrack experiences help our additive manufacturing team move one step closer to using 3D-printed parts in production vehicles.”

One example where 3D-printed parts are making a difference is in the Corvette factory race team. The Corvette two debuted two new race cars — both Corvette C8.Rs — at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona race in January. Each of the cars includes over 75 3D-printed parts from tiny to huge, including the oil tank, tank inlet and cap, air conditioning driver cooling box and integrated hydration system, power steering pump bracket and headlight assemblies. Fifty of the parts were printed in-house at General Motors, while others were supplied by GM partner company. Together, the two cars have accumulated over 8,000 racing miles without a single failure of a 3D printed part, testifying to the robustness of 3D printed parts, which were once considered too fragile for racing or production duty.

Other racing programs by Chevrolet that have benefitted from rapid prototyping and parts reproduction provided by 3D printing have also included Chevrolet's INDYCAR program. Several metal components in the high-revving Chevrolet Indy V6 are 3D printed in metal, which helps eliminate known failure points in traditionally-manufactured parts. Engines with those parts have run over 60,000 miles since June.

Likewise, the Chevy Off-Road Racing Team has been benefiting from 3D printed parts. The Chevrolet Silverado race trucks compete in the stock 1200 class, which limits changes to suspension, underbody and safety equipment. Everything else must be fundamentally stock as delivered from the factory. The race trucks on the team include several 3D printed parts, including rear damper shields made of high-strength carbon-fiber reinforced plastic.
 

“By utilizing 3D-printed parts, Chevrolet Motorsports is demonstrating the many benefits of additive manufacturing, including manufacturing efficiencies, mass reduction, parts consolidation, creativity and cost savings,” said Audley Brown, GM director, Materials Engineering, Additive Design and Manufacturing. “3D-printed parts can offer equal strength and durability to cast or milled components, which is critical for product development and design.”

The designers and engineers at Chevy always have their thinking caps on, helping to create the future of motoring, manufacturing and design. With success like this on the racetrack, Chevrolet's experience in 3D printing will help push ahead the next generation of Chevy parts, accessories and manufacturing techniques, which are all coming soon to a Chevy near you! Ready to experience the vehicles of the future that you can own today? Come see us at Landers Chevy of Norman for a test drive, or check out our full selection of Chevy vehicles at our website right now. 
Source: blog