MtthsMlw wrote: ↑14 Feb 2019, 11:09
Looks like we will actually see the SF90H tomorrow.
Wasn't it always the plan to reveal the car on the 15th?
Working myself with 3d printing (like most people nowadays) I find it interesting if Ferrari found a way to print out structural piece as strong as carbon. The issues are always layer bounding/separation, directional strength and overall strength of the material used to print with (often plastics). Metal print are resistant, but far too heavy to be used as described in the article.
I could see some ways to make it possible, but that would involve a lot of automation and change to the fabrication line, or a new line entirely.
Speculatively, it's not impossible to combine mold or press with an automated system that would layer the fiber on its own. Bmw kind of have a system like that to create parts for some of their cars (the i3 I think).
So it won't be per say printed, but they could have found a way to automatize the layering and baking system. The cutting step is already done by an automatic cutter, so why not the next few steps. Combined with printed or machined mold and you get a system that can potentially run on its own and "print" out finished pieces.
Autoclave oven tend to damage molds that are too soft after a while, but if you have the capacity to reprint them and/or run them just a few times, it's not out of the question that they could set-up an automated line.
This way you could also have insane precision in the layering of the different layers and fiber strength and potentially have small weight gain.
Again this is speculative, but not unthinkable.
