Cupra is currently utilising its multi-jet fusion technology to fashion parts in a fast and efficient way for its Spanish carmaker's Leon Competición race car that includes 3D-printed door mirrors, air intakes and cooling intakes.
The Leon Competición is a touring car that uses a Volkswagen-derived 2.0-litre turbocharged engine producing 335bhp which allows it to launch from 0 to 100kph in 3.2 seconds before reaching a top speed of about 300kph.
The new technique enables the manufacturer to reduce the vehicle’s fuel consumption while also increasing stability, speed and safety.
The process of printing a mirror can take around 20 hours, but Cupra is able to print six at a time, giving the team the ability to create different designs simultaneously so that varying prototypes can undergo wind-tunnel testing quickly.
After the parts are printed, they are immediately fitted to the car to face winds of more than 300kph for performance analysis for the different printed parts in the areas of fuel consumption, stability, speed and safety.
The final development of the 3D printed parts was on a racing circuit, with CUPRA testing the Leon Competición on the Portimao track in Portugal.
