The Visa Cash App RB Formula 1 team has formed a technical partnership with Roboze, a company based in Bari, Italy, to produce end-use parts for its race cars. This collaboration aims to reduce vehicle weight and create components with complex geometries unattainable through traditional manufacturing techniques.
Roboze specializes in 3D printing high-performance composite materials capable of replacing metal parts. This partnership heralds a new era in the application of advanced materials for producing essential racing vehicle components.
The Visa Cash App RB team has been integrating Roboze technology into their single-seater development for several months and plans to continue its use throughout the racing season. The focus is on producing parts with highly intricate geometries that conventional methods cannot achieve, leveraging Roboze’s additive manufacturing (AM) techniques for composites.
Among Roboze’s offerings, carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has been selected for its exceptional thermal and mechanical resistance. This material will enable the team to significantly reduce weight, improve aerodynamic efficiency, and enhance the structural strength of their cars.
“This partnership represents a significant step forward in our mission to push the boundaries of 3D printing technology, bringing our advanced materials like carbon [fiber] PEEK directly to the Formula 1 tracks,” says Alessio Lorusso, Roboze CEO. “It’s a unique opportunity to demonstrate how our solutions can help redefine performance and efficiency parameters in motorsport.”
The team asserts that adopting Roboze’s 3D printing technologies will revolutionize the design and production of critical car components. “The ability to use materials like carbon [fiber] PEEK allows us not only to optimize the weight and strength of our vehicles but also to significantly accelerate our development and innovation cycles, keeping us one step ahead of the competition,” says Stefano Natali, Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team director of production. “This partnership is a cornerstone of our strategy to stay at the forefront of the world championship.”
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