Scuderia Ferrari, S.p.A
\nWhy buy a Ferrari when you can just print your own? While we maybe some time off from such a possibility \u2013 and to say nothing of proprietary rights – this notion has been causing quite the buzz in the industrial manufacturing world. After languishing for a few decades after its inception in the 1980s, additive manufacturing (AM), also known as three-dimensional (3D) printing is finally starting to assert itself across a broad spectrum of industries, including the automotive industry. So great is the potential that experts are labeling the rise of AM as the \u2018third industrial revolution\u2019. [1]
\nAdditive Manufacturing utilizes a layered fabrication process by which additional layers of a product are laid on top of the previously made layer, in contrast to subtractive manufacturing in which a part is cut from or forged from a solid block of material. [2] This leads to clear differences in waste, and therefore cost. Additionally, computer aided design (CAD) software has optimized the construction of customizable components, many of which are also exceedingly complex and unable to be constructed via traditional means. [3] In the wider automotive industry, advantages conferred by AM have resulted in lighter engine brackets and reduced complexity, leading to benefits such as increased fuel efficiency. [4]
\nSteeped in history and racing pedigree, Ferrari is keen to reap the benefits of AM. AM will grant Ferrari the ability to engage in more complex designs, ones which can reduce the weight of their cars, improve safety, simplify overall designs by combining part production into one step, reduce waste and its associated costs. Despite its legendary racing heritage, Ferrari \u2013 in its racing department, known as Scuderia Ferrari \u2013 has been struggling in the post-Schumacher era, with \u2018the Prancing Horse\u2019 failing to win a team championship since 2007.
\nFormula One Racing is a sport where every millisecond counts, every ounce of weight counts, and the performance of all the materials in the racecar counts\u2026perhaps more than the driver in the cockpit. Due to the numerous regulations, safety needs, and stringent focus on performance margins, engineering a successful racecar is incredibly complex and expensive. In light of the recent F1 dominance of Mercedes, which many experts within Ferrari attribute to Mercedes\u2019s partnership with US engineering, AM firm Stratasys, allowing for rapid tweaking of components in a process known as fast AM, Ferrari is already behind. [5]
\nThe managing directors in Marenello are more than well aware of this and at the heart of Ferrari\u2019s efforts to regain its position at the top of the podium are two new Renishaw Additive Manufacturing machines. Renishaw will utilize metal powder bed fusion technology to build challenging, metal engine pieces with complex designs and thin walls that traditional manufacturing could not achieve. [6]
\nWhile it appears Ferrari is focusing on utilizing 3D printing within its Scuderia Ferrari racing arm, there are substantial costs associated with AM that can really only be diffused with scale at the moment. Moving beyond a short time horizon, of which the goal is to win another Constructors and Drivers Championship, Ferrari must take the lessons and knowledge gained in Formula One and apply it to its street cars. Managing costs will be a particular challenge for Ferrari, a company known for its exclusivity and limited production. Ferrari has the ability to overcome some scale issues as a result of one of AM\u2019s inherent strengths \u2013 the ability to manufacture hard-to-find parts without having to make costly new molds. [7] In this way, Ferrari can boost part sales for its large, antique collector market.
\nAdditionally, the Ferrari-Renishaw team face other challenges, specifically, figuring out how to conduct effective material testing of 3D produced components, especially when production shifts to hollow parts, ascertaining proper 3D alloys, and ensuring there is a next generation of engineers on hand who can fully unleash the power of AM technologies. Failures to address some of these concerns can carry substantial hidden costs in the form of defective, unsafe parts, which could easily land Ferrari in costly litigation with its consumers. Fortunately, it appears that the engineers at Renishaw are acutely aware of their own equipment and engineering limitations, acknowledging, \u201cUnless great care is taken, the quest for extreme light weight could result in weak points and fragility.\u201d [8] Ferrari engineers are also making alterations to their engine design to account for changes in material composition and reliability, as well as temperature and pressure changes. [9]
\nIn the coming years the AM community needs to address some fundamental concerns: How can AM be expanded into utilizing other materials (aside from metal-alloys and plastics) to further improve production processes? And how can the large costs and slower speeds be compensated in a way that companies that have not achieved scale \u2013 or cannot achieve scale \u2013 can still utilize this powerful new technology? (800)
\n[1] Lim, Choon Wee Joel, Kim Quy Le, Qingyang Lu, Chee How Wong. (Jul-Aug 2016). An Overview of 3-D Printing in Manufacturing, Aerospace, and Automotive Industries. [online] 性视界 Library. Available at: https:\/\/ieeexplore-ieee-org.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu\/document\/7517429 [Accessed 9 Nov. 2018]
\n[2] Lim, Choon Wee Joel, Kim Quy Le, Qingyang Lu, Chee How Wong. (Jul-Aug 2016). An Overview of 3-D Printing in Manufacturing, Aerospace, and Automotive Industries. [online] 性视界 Library. Available at: https:\/\/ieeexplore-ieee-org.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu\/document\/7517429 [Accessed 9 Nov. 2018].
\n[3] Lim, Choon Wee Joel, Kim Quy Le, Qingyang Lu, Chee How Wong. (Jul-Aug 2016). An Overview of 3-D Printing in Manufacturing, Aerospace, and Automotive Industries. [online] 性视界 Library. Available at: https:\/\/ieeexplore-ieee-org.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu\/document\/7517429 [Accessed 9 Nov. 2018].
\n[4] Bonn\u00edn-Roca, Jaime, Parth Vaishnav, Joana Mendon\u00e7a, Granger Morgan. (MIT Sloan Management Review Spring 2017). Getting Past the Hype About 3-D Printing. [online] 性视界 Library. Available at: https:\/\/search-proquest-com.ezpprod1.hul.harvard.edu\/docview\/1885885282\/90DBF9E43AA3450FPQ\/1?accountid=11311 [Accessed 9 Nov. 2018].
\n[5] Pooler, Michael. (23 April 2017). 3D printing starts to gain traction in industrial tool kits. [online]. Financial Times. Available at: https:\/\/global-factiva-com.prd2.ezproxy-prod.hbs.edu\/ga\/default.aspx [Accessed 10 Nov. 2018].
\nSher, Davide.(22 June 2018). Ferrari F1 reveals using metal AM systems from Renishaw for fast part production. [online] 3D Printing Network. https:\/\/www.3dprintingmedia.network\/ferrari-f1-additive-manufacturing-renishaw\/ [Accessed 12 Nov. 2018].
\n[6] Moda, O. (2018). Ferrari additive manufacturing. [online]. Renishaw. Available at: https:\/\/www.renishaw.com\/en\/ferrari-additive-manufacturing\u201443506 [Accessed 12 Nov. 2018].
\n[7] Lim, Choon Wee Joel, Kim Quy Le, Qingyang Lu, Chee How Wong. (Jul-Aug 2016). An Overview of 3-D Printing in Manufacturing, Aerospace, and Automotive Industries. [online] 性视界 Library. Available at: https:\/\/ieeexplore-ieee-org.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu\/document\/7517429 [Accessed 9 Nov. 2018].
\n[8] Moda, O. (2018). Ferrari additive manufacturing. [online]. Renishaw. Available at: https:\/\/www.renishaw.com\/en\/ferrari-additive-manufacturing\u201443506 [Accessed 12 Nov. 2018].
\n[9] Davies, Sam. (1 February 2017). Ferrari look to 3D printing to revamp 2017 Formula 1 engine. [online]. TCT Magazine. Available at: https:\/\/www.tctmagazine.com\/3d-printing-news\/ferrari-3d-printing-revamp-2017-formula-1-engine\/ [Accessed 12 Nov. 2018].
\n[10] Getty Images. (15 March 2016). F1 2016 Team Preview: Scuderia Ferrari. [online]. NBC Sports. Available at: https:\/\/motorsports.nbcsports.com\/2016\/03\/15\/f1-2016-team-preview-scuderia-ferrari\/ [Accessed 12 Nov. 2018]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tired of finishing second to its racing arch-nemesis, Mercedes, Scuderia Ferrari S.p.A is leading Ferrari's charge into the future by teaming with Renishaw, a British engineering firm that specializes in additive manufacturing (AM). Ferrari is looking to ride the wave of the future back onto the podium's top spot and carry their storied heritage into the 21st century. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11103,"featured_media":30385,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[4102,4471,3340,3425,217,2271,3463,115],"class_list":["post-30384","hck-submission","type-hck-submission","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-3dprinting","category-addititive-manufacturing","category-additive-manufacturing","category-adm","category-auto","category-auto-industry","category-automotive-industry","category-ferrari","hck-taxonomy-organization-ferrari-spa","hck-taxonomy-industry-auto","hck-taxonomy-country-italy"],"connected_submission_link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/assignment\/rc-tom-challenge-2018\/","yoast_head":"\n