Case Study: Élan Motorsports Technologies achieves a durable, fuel‑impervious racecar fuel vent manifold with 3D Systems (SLS® and DuraForm® EX)

Elan Motorsports Technologies - Customer Case Study

Élan Motorsports Technologies (EMT), part of the Panoz group, needed a two-part fuel vent manifold for methanol racecar tanks under a tight deadline. The project faced complex geometry, low production quantities that ruled out traditional tooling, and a harsh, high-temperature methanol environment where parts had to resist swelling and remain securely mounted despite extreme vibration.

EMT teamed with American Precision Prototyping (APP) to directly manufacture the assembly using 3D Systems’ Selective Laser Sintering with DuraForm EX plastic, augmented by a multi-layer tempering plasma spray and infiltrate coating. The result was a fuel-impervious, thermally robust manifold that passed performance testing and was successfully used in multiple races, including the Indianapolis 500.

Elan Motorsports Technologies