Bugatti developers have succeeded in designing a titanium brake caliper that can be produced using 3D printing processes – making it the world’s largest functional component made of the material using additive manufacturing processes.
The company worked closely with Laser Zentrum Nord, part of Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, to create the component.
The 3D-printed titanium brake caliper was developed in an extremely short time period – from the idea to the first printed component took approximately three months.
The basic concept, strength and stiffness simulations and calculations and the design drawings were sent to Laser Zentrum Nord by Bugatti as a complete data package.
The institute then carried out process simulation, design of the supporting structures, and printing and treatment of the component. Bugatti was responsible for finishing.
Testing of the brake caliper in mass production vehicles is scheduled to begin in the first half of the year. It is hoped further refinement will enable the team to considerably shorten production times, especially for machining.
Frank Götzke, head of new technologies in the technical development department at Bugatti, said, “In our continuing development efforts, we are always considering how new materials and processes can be used to make our current models even better and how future vehicles of our brand could be designed.”
