3D Printed Wing Bases Racing by at 150 MPH — Aeromotions Case Study

For the professional motorsports specialist Aeromotions, the ability to quickly create robust, track-ready prototypes allows them to adapt their revolutionary airfoils to new car models to serve new customers rapidly and effectively.

The “wing base” of the Aeromotions Dynamic Wing - the part that specifically adapts the airfoil and wing to the car without damage - is traditionally made from 6061 Aluminum. Ordering aluminum prototypes from vendors typically takes 1-2 weeks per iteration, slowing the race car company to a halt.With the Mark One Composite 3D Printer™, Aeromotions makes flat, stiff, scratch-resistant carbon fiber reinforced nylon wing bases in 7-10 hours, and with a higher strength-to-weight than 6061 Aluminum.

Using the same SolidWorks-generated STL files used for manufacturing, Aeromotions added optimized carbon fiber layers just by clicking the "Use Fiber" toggle in MarkForged's software.

Aluminum is Too Slow; We Couldn't Trust Regular Plastic

“With an airfoil that makes 530 pounds of downforce at 150mph, we just can’t trust regular 3D printed plastic parts. And our customers just can’t wait 2 weeks for a functional prototype in aluminum.

Now we can adapt our wings to new car models right away, and test new products at track speeds the next day.”

Speed in design iteration, leading to speed on the track, is key to success for Aeromotions. Creating reinforced 3D printed parts was cheaper, faster, and easier – an unexpected and welcome advantage for a company who specializes in traditional carbon fiber composites.

“Historically, new wing base designs milled from 6061 Aluminum cost us $68 per set, and no vendor would make less than 3 pairs – even when we only needed one pair for testing. Now we can make a carbon fiber reinforced set for $40.”

Using the Mark One Composite 3D Printer™ allows Aeromotions to keep their customers on the podium, and reach a whole new audience of racers interested running the newest and latest gear.

Specifications

Aeromotions Wing Base in 6061 Aluminum: Size 199.26mm x 38.1mm x 12.7mm; Aluminum Lead Time ~168 hours; Aluminum Cost ~$34 each

Aeromotions Wing Base in Nylon + Continuous Carbon Fiber: Size 199.26mm x 38.1mm x 12.7mm; Estimated Print Time ~7h 30m; Nylon Cost ~$8.40; Carbon Fiber Cost ~$11.41