Thin-Wall Strategy
Fixturing and cut order were planned to keep walls stable through roughing.
Mainbars and Aluminum Inserts for Rennteam Stuttgart
RapidDirect machined two mainbar components and over 80 aluminum inserts for the Formula Student car, holding thin-wall tolerance without distortion.
- Process
- CNC Machining
- Materials
- Aluminum
- Parts
- Mainbar components and more than 80 aluminum inserts
Background
Thin Walls That Like to Move
Rennteam Stuttgart needed two mainbar components and over 80 aluminum inserts for its car. The mainbars are thin-walled with angled holes and several machined faces, so distortion during cutting was the real risk.
Key challenges
Thin-Wall Distortion
Removing material from a thin section moves the part unless the strategy is planned.
Holes on Angled Faces
Hole positions had to hold tolerance across irregular surfaces.
Race Calendar Deadline
The car had to be assembled on schedule for the season.
How the Mainbars Were Machined
Four-axis machining and turn-mill compound operations carried the thin-wall strategy, with supply staged to protect the delivery date.
4-Axis Machining
Angled holes and multiple faces were machined in as few setups as possible.
Insert Batch and Delivery
Over 80 aluminum inserts ran as a batch alongside the mainbars and shipped to the race calendar.
Car Assembled for the Season
The mainbars and inserts arrived in time for assembly and the car ran the Formula Student season.
After delivery
Parts That Went Straight to Assembly
Tolerances held on the thin walls, so the team assembled without rework and kept its test schedule.
Two mainbars and 80 aluminum inserts delivered on the race calendar
Customer perspective
We are profoundly grateful for RapidDirect's support, as their contributions played an important role in our performance during the competition.
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