KWSP was approached by Martin Stretton to get his 1971 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3, one of only 12 ever made, back on the race track through the use of additive manufacturing.
The Challenge
- The Alfa’s front engine cover had become damaged over time
- Due to the rarity of the car, no working original components were in circulation
- Due to significant component damage, 3D scanning alone would not produce sufficiently accurate CAD data
The Requirements
- Capture of existing component data in CAD
- Re-engineering of component to remove defects
- Creation of the component’s digital asset
- Replication of the original component in aluminium
The Approach
- The engine cover was 3D scanned, imported in to CAD, then re-engineered by KWSP’s engineers and stored as a digital asset
- A prototype component was printed overnight in a high performance thermoplastic and used for in-situ validation
- Once validated, the component data was used to cast the final component in aluminium
The Results
- Quality: Delivery of a new component in high-grade aluminium, and adhering to FIA certification
- Cost: Less than a third of the cost of traditional manufacturing processes
- Futureproofing: Creation and storage of a digital asset ready for spares requirements
“Thanks to this technology and the skills of the guys at KWSP we’re now back on the grid with the knowledge that we also have spare parts should we need them in the future”
Martin Stretton
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