The 2024 season of Formula 1 will see the use of the Aheadd® CP1 aluminium additive manufacturing powder in racing cars. The latest qualification of an AM material for Formula 1 was made three years ago; it was the Scalmalloy® powder developed by APWORKS.
The Aheadd® CP1 aluminium powder is developed by Constellium SE, a material producer headquartered in Paris, and who has partnered with Velo3D and PWR Advanced Cooling Technology to start providing highly efficient, compact, and lightweight heat exchangers for Formula 1 vehicles along with a variety of components for high-performance customers. The company is also working with multiple partners on additional Aheadd® CP1-based applications.
So, what’s this material?
Designed specifically for additive manufacturing, without volatile elements, rare earths, silicon or ceramic particle additions, Aheadd® CP1 is an Aluminium-Iron-Zirconium powder solution that delivers high strength and ductility, excellent thermal/electrical conductivity, high productivity processing, and simplified post-processing.
“We are proud to have our high-performance additive manufacturing aluminium powder approved for use on Formula 1 race cars,” said Alireza Arbab, Head of the Additive Manufacturing team at Constellium C-TEC. “Our customers can now develop a wide range of high-performance components, ranging from highly complex heat exchangers to structural parts. The benefits include previously impossible designs, cost-efficient parts, reduced machine utilization time and better ROI.”
Speaking of the material optimized for the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process, Mark Booker, PWR Technical Project Manager adds: “Aheadd® CP1 is a fantastic addition to our additive manufacturing services and Velo3D’s unparalleled print capabilities, and coupled with PWR’s brazed fin technology, it creates a unique performance differentiator for our customers.”
Aluminium Additive Manufacturing is increasingly gaining traction, as more applications are being developed for the aerospace, automotive and motor sport, defense, satellite, semiconductor, and transportation industries.
Remember, you can post free of charge job opportunities in the AM Industry on 3D ADEPT Media or look for a job via our job board. Make sure to follow us on our social networks and subscribe to our weekly newsletter : Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & Instagram ! If you want to be featured in the next issue of our digital magazine or if you hear a story that needs to be heard, make sure to send it to contact@3dadept.com