PERFORMANCE & RACING
RACING TOWARDS A 3D PRINTED CAR
Divergent Technologies is set to revolutionise vehicle production by harnessing the power of additive manufacturing Working with SLM Solutions over several years, Divergent has developed state-of-the-art software using topology optimisation or generative design. Kevin Czinger, head of Divergent Technologies, has developed an additive manufacturing platform which is making it easier and faster to design and build new cars at a fraction of the cost, and even reduces the environmental impacts of manufacturing. Part development using a 3D printer allows the use of titanium that will reduce part weight, and aluminium to ensure part strength on sections of the vehicle that require greater reinforcement. All the parts are designed to minimise the amount of metal powder and maximise functionality and reliability. SLM Solutions has worked with Divergent to develop this innovative process of car manufacturing. The benefits can be seen not just in the comparative costs for part production but in the reduction of space and overall cost of producing a whole car.
In March 2019 Kevin unveiled the extraordinary 21C in London. Hailed as a vision of the future, the car is ultra-light, compact, has a seven-speed automated sequential transmission gearbox and can achieve speeds from 0 to 300kph in 15 seconds. In October this year, the 21C Hypercar was driven around the COTA track in Los Angeles ahead of the American F1, recording the best time for an American production car lap ever set. What has been learned by Divergent Technologies along the path to revolutionise car production is now taking a much bigger step. In 2022 the factory will add to its SLM Solutions 3D metal printers, three new SLM Solutions NXG XII 600 machines that will introduce series production of the 21C to the facility in California. SLM Solutions says the NXG XII 600 is a game changer. Each system is equipped with twelve 1kW lasers, reportedly making it the fastest machine on the market capable of printing at speeds five times faster than current systems. And
with a build chamber of 600 x 600 x 600 mm3 it says both large parts and groups of smaller parts can be built in a single digital step. Numerous other advancements reportedly abound in this next-generation technology with its safe powder handling system which means Divergent will be able to produce thousands of tons of complex, automotive parts and structures that will hit the road as finished cars over the next two years. If you want to find out how you can revolutionise part production at your facility, the Australian distributor in of SLM Solutions machines, Raymax Applications, invites you to contact its team. For more information, visit www.raymax.com.au
SHW PERFORMANCE COMES TO THE AFTERMARKET TecDoc has facilitated SHW Performance’s entry into the automotive aftermarket SHW sells more than 290 brake disc types for the high-performance segment in the independent automotive aftermarket under the SHW Performance brand. TecDoc Catalogue solutions are supporting the company in successfully launching the brand and establishing an international sales structure in the automotive aftermarket. The independent aftermarket is an important growth segment for SHW, a leading supplier of pump and engine components, powder metallurgy and brake discs. The special division SHW Brake Systems develops and manufactures high-performance brake discs. Under the SHW Performance brand it is starting to sell OE-identical brake discs for the automotive aftermarket. “We have started talking to European distribution players. Easy onboarding, data quality, product
availability and on-time delivery are the key expectations from their side,” SHW Key Account Manager, Matthias Reckziegel, said. “TecDoc will help them sell, offering the ideal endto-end system for accurate part identification to match the vehicle. “With TecDoc, the onboarding of our product into distributors’ own systems is easier to manage because TecDoc enables smooth cooperation among parts manufacturers, traders and workshops. “That’s why TecDoc is a vital factor for distributors – they are no longer able to handle and manage offline suppliers.” Under the new SHW Performance brand, a product range identical to the one for OEMs is being introduced to the international IAM. SHW delivers parts for cars like the Porsche 911 GT3, BMW M models and Audi RS models, including the R8 with the wave disc that SHW developed. More than 290 brake disc types for the highperformance segment are already present in TecAlliance’s TecDoc Catalogue, which TecAlliance states is the world’s leading automotive replacement parts catalogue. “We believe that if you are not present in TecDoc, you are not present in the independent aftermarket. It is important for us to introduce our brand and
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product range so that our customers can easily find everything in the best possible standardised way”, Matthias said. “Thanks to TecAlliance’s onboarding training, we submitted the product data for our full range of brake discs into the TecDoc Catalogue very quickly. “Linking to the standardised product descriptions and the conversion to the TecDoc Standard went smoothly. As a result, our products can now be found by distributors and end customers in the TecDoc Solutions! “By building on TecDoc’s extensive industry knowledge and technical expertise, we can showcase our product portfolio to the entire aftermarket network (including part numbers, product and maintenance descriptions) for bestin-class visibility and sales.” For more information, visit www.tecalliance.net
