APWORKS, the Airbus-owned industrial 3D printing specialist, has revealed that it provided 3D printed exhaust finishers for the Bugatti Chiron, a hyper sports car that broke a world record when it reached 300 miles per hour (482.80 km/h) in August.
On August 2, 2019, Bugatti test driver Andy Wallace drove the Bugatti Chiron on the test track at Ehra-Lessien in Lower Saxony, Germany. In reaching 304.773 mph (490.484 km/h), Bugatti set a new record for a hyper sports car, becoming the first to break the long-eluded 300 mph barrier.
APWORKS has now revealed that a section of the record-breaking Chiron was 3D printed. That section was a pair of titanium exhaust finishers, part of the car’s tail section. The Airbus company says the finishers serve to “push the exhaust emissions further from the rear end of the car to reduce turbulence and improve steering behavior at high speeds.”
So why did APWORKS use AM for the exhaust finishers? The company says the design freedom of 3D printing led to better exhaust aerodynamics, which in turn resulted in increased downforce and better handling. Despite its high strength, 3D printed titanium is also lightweight, which helped with acceleration.
“Congratulations to Bugatti on the world record,” said Joachim Zettler, Managing Director of APWORKS, who praised the 3D printed parts and their “combination of lightweight, high-performance material and optimized emission flow.”
Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti, added that the carmaker’s “goal was to be the first manufacturer ever to reach the magic 300-mile-per-hour mark.” Having smashed that goal, he says the entire Bugatti team is now “incredibly proud.”
Although APWORKS is part of aerospace company Airbus, it has produced AM innovation for vehicles of air, land and sea. Over the last few years, it has worked with the likes of BMW and EOS on AM automotive projects, and with a US sailing team to provide metal 3D printed parts for boats.
