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Feature article

Additives in Formula 1: technology of the future

Taken from an original interview with Andrea Penna, casting: complex parts can be produced without the need for
Applications Engineer, Additive Manufacturing, Renishaw moulds and without having to take into account the limitations
S.p.A by journalist Gianfranco Ammirati of the passage of the molten mass due to its temperature
and viscosity. Additive manufacturing and swarf removal
Metal additive manufacturing is quickly becoming the
machining are therefore complementary technologies, since
technology of the future, but few people know the full
the part produced using additive manufacturing subsequently
extent of the opportunities it offers or the nature of the
needs to be machine-processed to achieve levels of finish
partnership - in this industry - between Renishaw and
and flatness that could not be obtained in any other way. This
Scuderia Ferrari.
‘complementarity’ is particularly evident in this part where,
The item we are talking about is an exhaust manifold for in addition to the insertion of sensors mentioned earlier, grip
F1 engines used for racing by Scuderia Ferrari. This is a points were incorporated into the part specifically to facilitate
continuously evolving part which is replaced after every race subsequent machining. Considering the shape of the part with
to benefit fully from all the advantages of research and also to very thin walls, the difficulty of machining the material and the
minimise the risk of breakage. need for absolute precision, this was the right solution for the
subsequent finishing phases. Essentially, this part constitutes a
This component is subjected to both significant thermal and
concentration of all the aspects of a DfAM (Design for Additive
mechanical stresses and it comes into contact with extremely
Manufacturing), which includes the design of the main function
aggressive exhaust gases: this is why it is made of Inconel,
of the part (optimising the flow of high temperature exhaust
a nickel-based alloy which proves extremely resistant to
gases), of the auxiliary function (insertion of sensors) and of
corrosion and high temperatures.
the process, such as the creation of grip points and references
However, this is a relatively heavy material and difficult to for subsequent mechanical machining.
machine owing to the removal of the swarf: the decision
to use additive manufacturing made it possible to make a
part that is on the whole extremely sturdy and light-weight
thanks to the very limited thickness of the walls, something
which would have been extremely difficult to achieve through
mechanical machining. The need to produce pipes of the
required thickness with the correct fluid dynamic shape and
to incorporate auxiliary shapes, such as insertion points for
sensors, would have made machining even more complex
using traditional technology.

The only solution, aside from additive manufacturing, was

casting, which, however, entailed considerably longer
manufacturing times and near-zero flexibility, in the sense of
the ability to adapt to research developments. In addition to
development, even the ‘normal’ routine needs different parts
depending on the characteristics of the track on which the
race is to be held: that means different moulds for different
requirements and no possibility of change except with the
creation of new moulds. Product development and the
pursuit of improved performance lead to the conception of
new solutions, which translate into changes in shape, with
modifications (more or less evident) that still lead to different
manufactured products which need to be produced and tested
with a very quick turnaround time. The only technology capable
of quickly producing finished parts from mathematical figures
which differ each time is additive manufacturing: the only
choice considering all these factors.

So in actual fact, additive manufacturing is not an alternative An exhaust manifold produced by Scuderia Ferrari with Renishaw
additive manufacturing machines
technology to mechanical machining, but rather an evolution of

© 2018 Renishaw plc. All rights reserved. Page 1 of 3

Feature article: Additives in Formula 1: technology of the future

A project that starts after the design
As we’ve seen, this is a complex part owing both to its
conditions of use, to the material, and also to its particular
design. In the case of Scuderia Ferrari, the design of the
part is the sole responsibility of the team, which provides the
maths, but how does one tackle all the issues linked to actual
manufacturing?
The most significant steps were definitely the definition of the
positioning of the part in the car, and the engineering of the
related supports: indeed, a profound knowledge of the additive
manufacturing process was required to achieve these steps.
necessary to reassess the entire car-positioning project to
optimise the situation depending on the modifications made. At
this stage, intervention may be necessary to various extents,
which essentially ‘adapt’ what has already been made to the
new design or, also, start from scratch with the positioning
and the creation of the related supports and supporting
structures. In any case, intervention is always required, with
the modification, the addition or removal of supports, and this
is irrespective of the extent of the part modification.

An additional challenge lay in the fact that the supports

were under no circumstances to be fitted inside the gas
passageways to avoid compromising the fluid dynamics.

Optimising the supports is extremely important because all the

powder used to make the supports cannot be recovered and
this affects the processing time in the machine as well as the
amount of time it takes to remove it at the end of the task. At
the same time, the supports have a very important function,
which is to guarantee the geometric stability and define a path
for the melt heat disposal. Detail of the supports

A multitude of ideas in a single part

3D printing is combined with a simple, easy and immediate
concept, while this technology manages quickly to give body
and shape to even very complex objects which would often not
have been able to be made using traditional technologies. The
manufacturing cycle required to produce these parts, which
as we’ve seen may incorporate various functions, entails a
profound knowledge of the process in order to achieve the
goals that have been set during the design phase.

A typical example of 3D manufacturing is the production

Spotlight on the supporting structures to either side of the part still fitted
on the machining plate of a part in a single piece which would have needed to be
produced in several pieces subsequently assembled together
had traditional technologies been used. This makes for savings
in the subsequent assembly phase, but it also leads to lighter
To achieve this, supporting structures were made to allow a
weight, less complex management, fewer possibilities of
reduced quantity of traditional supports to obtain the savings
breakages and improved mechanical characteristics.
we discussed earlier. The supports made are very thin and, if
they are very long, there may be a risk of distortions; what’s
more, they are often melted with parameters that make them
less ‘dense’ than the main part so as to allow simpler removal
later, while retaining their function. The supporting structure
on the other hand has a more significant cross-section and
it is molten with the same parameters as the part in order to
achieve a significantly higher robustness.

The advantages of this choice were many: the correct direction

of the part and the use of these supporting structures made
it possible to reduce the length and quantity of the supports,
with the ensuing reduction in processing time. Based on what
we have seen so far, it is necessary to specify that every part
An exhaust manifold produced by Scuderia Ferrari with Renishaw
modification devised by the Scuderia Ferrari team makes it additive manufacturing machines

© 2018 Renishaw plc. All rights reserved. Page 2 of 3

Feature article: Additives in Formula 1: technology of the future

This is what is already known; what often doesn’t emerge

is that the moment the complexity of a part increases, this
makes room at design level to add ideas and functions. In
addition to the insertion into this part of seats for sensors, as
mentioned earlier, let’s look at the bigger picture: if we recall
how cars were built until the 1930s, we’ll see that there was a
chassis onto which the body, the engine, the suspension etc.
were fixed (separate parts, specifically)… Then, at one point,
the chassis disappeared: the body, which had obviously been
restyled and redesigned, became the self-supporting chassis
itself and it started to include functions that it hadn’t had
beforehand. This potential gradually expanded in time, both in
terms of the car body, as well as all the other subsets which
were similarly redesigned. Perhaps it is also the name given to
this process that simplifies the concept too much and deceives
the potential user: digital casting would be closer to reality.

The racing industry was one of the first sectors to catch on to

the specific advantages of additive technology.

By specific advantages we mean that moment when, in a given

sector, a reason, a factor emerges, making that technology
become explosive. In practice, what happens is that at one
stage, what is known as potential turns into a clear advantage,
which could be time-related or linked to design freedom as in
the case of racing, aerospace or medical, but it could also be
merely economical, which is what is happening in many other
industries. Since this sector entails complex shapes, weight
reduction, single pieces as an alternative to assembled pieces,
characteristics which cannot be achieved using traditional
Andrea Penna shows the part produced for Scuderia Ferrari
technologies, the potential of additive manufacturing is clear.
Clearly each sector will have to turn this potential into objective
advantages. When the performance levels required are
extreme, designers are more sensitive to new potential, but
the growth of this technology will make additive manufacturing
increasingly accessible to various sectors.

Metal 3D printing in Formula 1

Racing fans appreciate the emotional aspect of races, with
cars overtaking at the thrilling speed of 300 km per hour,
the skill of the entire team that performs miracles, such
as changing 4 tyres in just 2 seconds… then, behind it all,
there are many, many other people who work with passion
and dedication, who are committed to finding the perfect
modification, the ideal improvement that will allow the driver Spotlight on the supporting structure
to go that tiny bit faster on each lap, giving him an advantage,
albeit a minimal one. This search is an exhaustive one,
perhaps the most exhaustive there is in the world, comparable
only to the space industry. In this search everything, and I
really mean everything, is constantly up for debate, with a view
to pursuing continuous improvement. In this context, additive
manufacturing makes it possible to do away with the casting
moulds and the tooling for mechanical machining, there
remains only the design idea that is turned into a mechanical
part.

For more information, visit www.renishaw.com/amguide

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