Delft’s Formula Student team has seen great success in recent years, winning multiple hard fought Formula Student races. Taking the crown at the renowned Silverstone race track in 2014 and 2015, they’ve become one of the most successful teams in Formula Student history.

We sat down with their Chief Engineer Jonas to find out how 3D printing has helped them become so successful in recent years and how it’s being applied. As Chief Engineer, Jonas explained his role in the 75 strong team:

“I’m in charge of the top level concept of the car, making sure every part of the car fits the core goal which is efficient motion.”

Using tools such as a lathe, mill, carbon fibre prepreg layups and 3D printing, the Delft team have the task of building an entire Formula-style racing car in just 9 months.

The key to success within such a short time is moving quickly whilst maintaining a versatile build, so that when challenges arise, things can be easily tweaked and changed without the need to restart the entire process. This is where the advantages of 3D printing came into the process in two key application areas.

The Awkward Steering Wheel

The first application of 3D printing that Delft utilized in the build of their car was the steering wheel. Not only was their steering wheel prototyped with 3D printing, the final competition design was made in the same way.

Having multiple drivers in the Delft team mean that they all have individual preferences and driving styles. The biggest interface between the driver and car is the steering wheel, making it a hot topic of debate for the designers on how it should feel, grip and perform.

The best way to solve the constant back and forth between the design team and drivers was to use FDM 3D printing, an affordable and fast way to go through many iterations without incurring large costs and the creation of delays in the short 9 months they have.

Learn more on how to access 3D printing through the 3D Hubs Student Program

FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) works by extruding a reel of plastic through a heated nozzle which melts the plastic building layers which then cool down and solidify, as displayed in the video below.