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Product category: Motor sports manufacturing: machining, software, CAM
News Release from: DMG (UK) | Subject: Machining centres and turning centres
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial Team on 15 April 2005

F1 components' surface finish improved

Since acquiring 14 DMG machines, a F1 team reports component surface finish has improved and linear drives has ralised lack of wear and backlash, while coolant management is a lot less demanding.

High expectation pervades the Whiteways Technical Centre in Oxfordshire, home to the Renault F1 Team Having achieved its target of finishing third in the Constructors' Championship last year, leapfrogging both Williams and McLaren, Renault is keen to ensure that its goals for 2005 are also realised: to finish in the top two, and to win more races

Helping the team towards its ambition is DMG (UK), which has recently entered its second year as the official machine tool supplier to the Renault F1 Team.

Having acquired 14 DMG machine tools for its Whiteways site in the past two years, the Renault F1 Team is now fully committed to making the machines the cornerstone of its manufacturing success.

In fact, two more are currently on order, a five-axis DMU 60T machining centre and a GMX 200 turning-milling centre featuring linear drive technology.

"The DMU 60T will be used to manufacture carbon fibre inserts," explains Machine Shop Manager, Jeff Fullerton.

"Its specification will be tailored so that slideways and scales are suitably pressurised to protect them from the ingress of carbon fibre dust".

"The GMX 200 will house an additional spindle (a 12,000 rev/min swivelling milling spindle), which will also provide five-axis capability and help reduce the number of operations required on some of our more complex components." One such component is a low-pressure accumulator body.

At present this part begins its life as a billet on a CTX 420, where the main bore is turned.

It is then transferred to a four-axis DMC 104V where the surfaced side work is undertaken before being transferred again, this time to a DMU 80P, where the angled hydraulic channels and end fitting details are machined.

"When the GMX 200 arrives, this component will go from a three machine process to a two set-up process on a single machine," explains Fullerton.

Machining savings of this nature are invaluable to Formula One teams that can no longer spend at will.

Many are now accountable to their sponsors and parent companies and have to demonstrate that all costs are being minimised where possible.

The 36 man machine shop at Whiteways is no exception.

Typical components manufactured here include suspension parts such as titanium bearing housings, lightweight structural components machined from a very abrasive high silicon aluminium and hydraulic manifolds, as well as chassis, gearbox and steering related components.

As anyone who has seen a typical selection of Formula One parts will confirm, manufacture is not top of the requirement list when it comes to design.

"Components here are designed for function, weight and manufacture, in that order," says Fullerton.

"It means that some of the shapes we encounter are extremely complex and often require machining from solid".

"Five-axis machining using DMG machines has become an integral part of the facility here at Whiteways." On the day of interview, Renault F1 Team's new R25 cars were despatched to commence their long journey to Australia for the first race of the 2005 Formula One calendar, where the Renault F1 Team drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Fernando Alonso finished first and third respectively.

Consisting of over 7000 components drawn by Renault, the R25 has had the machine shop at Whiteways occupied around the clock for the past few months, along with many weekends.

However, staff can not relax yet.

Since testing commenced in Barcelona at the start of the year, the car has almost completely changed.

With many more changes expected from the outcome of the first two or three races, along with prototype parts for next year's R26 car, the machine shop can expect to run full tilt for most of the year.

A typical batch at Whiteways consists of 15 car sets, the final figure depending on the number of items per car.

With tolerance limits as tight as +/-0.008mm in many instances and surface finish critical, there is little margin for error".

""Some of the exotic material billets are very expensive," explains Fullerton".

""For example, a billet for a pair of suspension uprights manufactured from high silicon aluminium runs into four figures".

"We can not afford scrap." However, since acquiring the DMG machines, many advantages have been realised".

""Surface finish has improved considerably," he says".

""The combination of linear drives and Heidenhain CNC control works phenomenally well".

"We enjoy many benefits from using the DMG linear drive technology: the lack of wear, the lack of backlash, the high speeds, and the fact that coolant management is a lot less demanding all helps." Parts arrive at the machine shop as Catia models before being accessed offline by the team's experienced programmer/operators.

All toolpaths are checked using verification software before being sent to the DMG machines".

""The machines are extremely easy to operate".

"I have taken on a new starter this week who is unfamiliar with DMG machines and he has settled in with the minimum of training." The average component lead-time from CAD model to 'on the car' is extremely short and machine tools have to respond quickly".

""Machines of less quality or less speed would not be able to get an optimum number of component sets complete that a Formula One team requires," explains Operations Director, John Mardle".

""The DMG machines have helped Renault F1 Team undertake more machining, in shorter timescales, without taking on additional staff".

"It allows us to absorb the compression in manufacturing lead-times without increasing staff overtime or outsourcing".

"Other teams are genuinely amazed at what we achieve on our budget".

"We manufacture as much as 90% of our car in-house." Mardle adds that one of the biggest changes in the sport this year relates to the regulations".

""It has meant that more time has had to be given to testing, particularly regarding aerodynamics and wind tunnel work".

"In turn, the slot for manufacturing gets squeezed, even though we have had to increase our batch sizes so that the testing teams get more spares".

"All of this puts intense pressure on the Whiteways facility and the DMG machines, but they have responded magnificently".

"The machines are faultless and their reliability is excellent." Mardle concludes by saying that DMG machines are making a real contribution to the team ambition of continuous improvement in the Constructors' Championship".

""This season will be closer".

"We will make dents in Ferrari's domination and make it more difficult for them".

"It means the DMG machines will be driven harder than ever, but based on what we have seen so far, it will not prove to be a problem.".

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