Case Study: Tecnun Motorsport Team achieves 60% lighter carbon fiber intake manifold with Stratasys 3D printing

Tecnun Motorsport Team reduces carbon fiber intake manifold weight by 60% with Stratasys

The customer, Tecnun Motorsport Team, a student engineering team from the University of Navarra, faced the challenge of manufacturing a complex carbon fiber intake manifold for their Formula Student race car. Their goal was to increase performance, but traditional aluminum mold production was too costly, inflexible, and time-consuming for their tight deadline. They turned to vendor Stratasys and utilized their FDM sacrificial tooling technology.

Stratasys provided a solution using a Fortus 450mc 3D printer to produce a sacrificial mold from ST-130 material. This mold was wrapped in carbon fiber and, once cured, the soluble core was washed away. This process allowed for a more complex design and dramatically faster production. The result was a carbon fiber intake manifold that was 60% lighter than one made with conventional methods, contributing to the team's best-ever finish in international competition.

Tecnun Motorsport Team