S5000 exploring 3D printing to speed up spare parts
Constructors Garry Rogers Motorsport are working with a 3D metal printing company to explore faster and cheaper spare parts for S5000.
SPEE3D co-founder and CEO Byron Kennedy at the Australian Grand Prix. (SPEE3D)
SPEE3D co-founder and CEO Byron Kennedy says a chance encounter led to a meeting with the team at GRM before the Australian Grand Prix.
Kennedy says the two parties are eager to explore the opportunities of printing spare parts at race events to reduce freight and production costs.
The Australian company provides the worlds fastest metal 3D printer, the WarpSPEE3D, which can produce a S5000 support arm in two hours or intake manifold in five hours.
"You're not going to fix yourself during a race." said Kennedy, "but if you break something in practice, you could actually build a new part in between practice and the race day."
"What it then does is it has the ability to reduce the amount of stock."
SPEE3D has previously focused on heavy industries such as defence, rail, and oil and gas in its five-year history.
Since 2020 the company has provided the equipment for the Australian Army, who have trialed producing spare parts for infantry vehicles in remote off-road locations.
A S5000 support arm printed in two hours by SPEE3D. (SPEE3D)
"What we're saying there is, especially in an industry like this, if you could get that part 100 minutes earlier, that is twice as valuable," said Kennedy.
"If you've broken something and you've got a session coming up, if you can get that two hours earlier, that is extremely valuable."
"If you get that part, after the practice session or after the race, it has no value at all."
"Time is so important in industries like motor racing."
Formula 1 teams have already moved to 3D printing to construct new and spare parts quickly as teams develop designs, especially under the new regulations introduced for 2022.
Kennedy says the company is exploring industries where high-value, just-in-time production is vital.
He says F1 production is probably out of reach for now, but smaller, single-manufacturer categories like S5000 could benefit from the technology on-site at race weekends.
Nothing formal is in place with S5000, but Kennedy says he is willing to continue exploring the relationship with GRM.
