Design Fabrication & 3D Technology
This month we are going to look at fabrication and manufacturing of small quantities of parts, bespoke parts and the technology used to design and produce them. This now plays a major role in the Swallow Racing performance parts set up. A few years ago, parts manufacturing meant expensive design and tooling and high-volume parts manufacture. Now low volume parts and even one-offs can be produced at a reasonable cost using the latest technology.
As with many other of our performance parts our design and fabrication department has been directed by our racing requirements and needs. So often there isn’t a standard or even a motorsport part that fits our requirements. The answer at this point is to design and manufacture our own. This could be something as simple as a spacer or bracket, or a much more complicated item like, an inlet manifold or an exhaust system. The resulting part or design can then also influence our thinking around performance parts for road cars.
Several years ago, we were looking for someone to fabricate our own exhaust systems for us. In neighbouring Devon, we found a talented fabricator running his business producing unbelievable quality stainless steel fabrications including exhausts. We made Nick Kellow an offer he couldn’t refuse to bring his business in house and as they say the rest is history. Nick is now our of head design and fabrications at Swallows Racing and his work includes leading our race and performance car builds.
Nick’s work often begins with 3D scanning, something Nick introduced into Swallows. Scanning could be an entire car for example if we are designing a roll cage for a race car. Often it can be the whole underside of a car that requires scanning which allows Nick to accurately design an exhaust system. This could be either for our stock systems in our SR range, or a bespoke system. In fact, it could be any area of a car such as the engine bay, subframe or the engine itself. Once Nick has a scan, he can CAD (Computer Aided Design) design a part around the scan which will then translate into accurate dimensions to manufacture the part. Alternatively, we can 3D print a ‘template’ part and test fit it before committing to manufacture.
A great example of templating or 3D modelling was on a recent XJR6 race car we were commissioned to build last winter. We needed to produce a one-off inlet manifold. As the inlet was going to be machined from solid billet, it was important that we got it right first time. By scanning and 3D printing a plastic model of the inlet it allowed us to test fit it before committing to machining the manifold and making sure all the inlets and outlets for the supercharger lined up. We could also make modifications to the model if needs be. The result was a perfectly fitting billet inlet that didn’t require any fettling. Our ability to create such work on a race car build is transferable to custom and performance road car builds.
The ability to see the part in its final form before making it is extremely useful. To able to pick it up, look at it, see where there may be a weakness, and how it might need modifying and consider how the final part can be manufactured is a great advantage. We can also render the part to give the customer an accurate visual of the component before manufacture. In addition to this we are able to show the customer a full step by step process of the parts that make up their bespoke builds, which offers a great level of engagement to the client.
Another largely unseen area of 3D technology that we take advantage of is, that 3D scanning and 3D printing lends itself to creating our own jigs and fixtures, allowing us the accurately manufacture small batches of parts. Traditionally, producing jigs and fixtures was the work of highly skilled toolmakers and an exceedingly costly and lengthy process. Producing our own jigs and fixtures is enormously helpful in reducing waste, speeding up manufacturing and keeping cost down. This is particular important in producing uniform parts and particular useful in the production of our SR performance exhaust sections or X100 cross braces.
Our final application for 3D technology is reverse engineering. The purpose of reverse engineering is to recreate a physical component, part or object without beginning with the original digital file or CAD model. Car manufacturers are obliged to have parts available to repair their products for ten years after the product is no longer manufactured. But many of our Jaguars are well past that age and there is no guarantee of future parts supply. This is where reverse engineering really comes into its own. If there is no original drawing, digital file or CAD model available we can accurately 3D scan and recreate an object. A 3D scanner is used to collect data from the surface of the physical part, which produces an STL file that becomes the digital twin of the part. This then gives us the ability to create a 3D printed facsimile or give the digital file to CNC machinist or manufacturer.
We are just beginning to see and understand what doors this technology opens for the design and manufacture of our performance parts for Jaguars. Swallows Racing is committed to continuing to explore what this technology offers us.
