The engineering team listens closely to roar of the race car engines, straining to hear any anomalies or unexpected sounds. After the race is over, parts are removed and examined.

What worked?

What didn’t?

What can we do to make it better?

In racing, a number of parts on race cars are prototypes. Rarely are they final versions. After each race, the engineers tweak one or more prototypes on additive manufacturing (AM) machines back at the shop and install them on the race car.

Another race begins, with the engineers listening to the roar of the engines again.

The race is over and the forensic analysis begins again.

What worked?

What didn’t?

What can we do to make it better?

More prototype parts are examined and tweaked, and then built on the metal AM equipment.

You could view a race car as “a collection of prototypes moving together in close formation.” The designers never really finish a design. The central idea at work here is that parts can always be improved, and so they are always viewed as experiments, prototypes, a work in progress.

Such an exploration of continuing design improvement would not be possible without additive manufacturing. While selective laser sintering is a common method of additive manufacturing, other metal AM processes are also used.

Continuous improvement–it’s one of the killer apps for additive manufacturing.

Leslie Langnau
llangnau@wtwhmedia.com