A 3D-printed, configurable transmission oil cooler from Conflux Technology has completed a full-distance endurance race on a Multimatic-engineered car, demonstrating the viability of additively manufactured thermal systems in high-stress motorsport conditions. The result provides a practical example of how AM can move beyond prototyping toward race-validated performance components.
Built on Conflux’s configurable core platform, the cooler was adapted to the programme’s thermal and packaging constraints and produced in just two weeks using metal additive manufacturing. This approach allowed engineers to fine-tune internal flow paths and surface geometries without redesigning the full system.
The 3D-printed core incorporates highly optimised internal channels to increase heat transfer while controlling pressure drop within a compact, lightweight envelope. Conflux’s configurable design platform allows engineers to rapidly tune geometry for different gearboxes, layouts and duty cycles, reducing non-recurring engineering costs and shortening programmes’ time-to-track, without compromising durability or consistency over long stints, a press release reads.
Multimatic Motorsports selected and integrated the unit as part of an endurance application, gaining a race-proven cooling solution without the cost and delay of a clean-sheet design. The Conflux cooler used engine coolant to regulate gearbox oil temperatures within a shared water circuit, showing how AM-enabled thermal management can be integrated into existing architectures.
In testing and competition, the system delivered roughly 20% higher heat rejection than the incumbent solution within the same packaging envelope. This additional thermal headroom came without extra weight, space, or aerodynamic penalties—an outcome that illustrates the value of complex internal geometries achievable only through additive manufacturing.
As a reminder, Conflux has built its expertise around parametric heat-exchanger architectures, combining advanced simulation, AM design rules, and application-specific optimization. The company has focused on motorsport as a validation ground while targeting aerospace and industrial thermal systems, positioning itself as a specialist in high-performance, serial-ready AM heat exchangers rather than one-off prototypes.
“At Multimatic we look for partners who can combine innovation with robust delivery,” said Julian Sole, Design Manager at Multimatic Motorsports. “The Conflux oil cooler, built from their configurable design and packaged efficiently in a very tight space, delivered the reliability we required over a full endurance race distance.”
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