High-performance sports cars require special care and a skilled technician to ensure that all their critical components are reaching their maximum potential. To take full advantage of each system’s capabilities, most racing vehicles also incorporate a series of customized parts that stretch performance. English Racing, a group passionate about tuning and racing cars, wanted to use such custom parts to push the boundaries of what’s possible for a Mitsubishi Evo.
English Racing was having trouble at high RPMs (revolutions per minute), as the Evo was exceeding tolerable oil pressure limits and causing significant damage to the car’s engine. After several engines were destroyed, English Racing designed an innovative new pulley that had a larger diameter, which would cause it to turn slower and thereby lower the oil pressure. Though the solution was theoretically sound, the issue of manufacturing their part at low quantities for testing posed a problem. With traditional casting processes, part production would have been both time-consuming and costly, so English Racing searched for an alternative.
By working with Metal Technology Inc. (MTI), English Racing was able to 3D print their pulley on a ProX 300 direct metal printer bye 3DS in 17-4 PH Stainless Steel. Using this method, creating the final part only took 5 hours, and the Evo was on the track and testing three days later. A few months after their test print, the English Racing team ran the Evo at the Pikes Peak ½ mile top-speed event and placed first in the Sedan Class, reaching 184.9 miles per hour.
For more insight on direct metal printing, hear from the technicians and engineers of English Racing and MTI in the video below. To explore the subject in greater depth, register for our joint webinar with MTI, English Racing and 3DS, scheduled for Tuesday July 22, 2014, at 11:00 AM EST.