3D Systems and Stewart-Haas Racing accelerate innovation at NASCAR Xfinity

3D Systems and Stewart-Haas Racing have entered a technical partnership built for victory. The championship-winning NASCAR team has relied on 3D Systems’ ProX 800 stereolithography and Figure 4 Standalone 3D printers to dramatically improve speed and performance in its race cars. With the help of 3D Systems and this three-year technical partnership, Stewart-Haas Racing can rapidly create durable parts, including design and prototyping, with faster iteration and production. This approach will enable the team to win not only on race days but win the innovation race.

A person creating using 3D Systems' Figure 4 Standalone printer with Stewart-Haas Racing sign in the background.
3D Systems’ solutions enable rapid design, testing, and production of critical components to increase speed, improve performance.

For a NASCAR team, perfecting automotive components designed to increase speed and performance is vital for success. Stewart-Haas Racing uses the ProX 800 to rapidly design and produce large aerodynamic components with a smooth surface finish and precise dimensional accuracy for wind tunnel testing. Stewart-Haas Racing relies on 3D Systems’ Figure 4 Standalone for the direct production of TV camera, pit gun, and pit cart components along with other prototype parts. Oqton’s Geomagic Wrap 3D scanning and imaging software is also integral to its manufacturing workflow. It collects scan data from the car components, processes it, and creates digital design files for shape deviation comparison. Additionally, 3D Systems’ 3D Sprint software is used to prepare and optimize the CAD data and manage the additive manufacturing process on both 3D printers.

“At Stewart-Haas Racing, it is important that we have a technical partner like 3D Systems to provide the tools we need to develop components that ultimately increase the speed of our race cars,” said Reneau Van Landingham, production manager, Stewart-Haas Racing. “The Pro X 800 and the Figure 4 printers enable us to print very large and very small, accurate, smooth-surface finish parts as quickly as possible. The speed in which we can design the component, print it, and test it in the wind tunnel is our most valuable resource to making our cars faster at the racetrack. The materials that are available for these machines enable us to print a range of prototype parts and track capable parts for our cars. I am confident that this technical partnership between 3D Systems and Stewart-Haas Racing will enable both companies to win in the additive manufacturing space and on the racetrack.”

Stewart-Haas Racing and 3D Systems will first appear together in the season-opening NASCAR Xfinity Series race February 18 at Daytona (Florida) International Speedway with the 3D Systems logo on the No. 00 Ford Mustang driven by Cole Custer.

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Written by

Rachael Pasini

Rachael Pasini is a Senior Editor at Design World (designworldonline.com).