The students of the Madrid Spain based Nebrija University have been in charge of the redesign and technological improvement of a car of the Sodicars brand that has participated in the premier category T1 of the Dakar Rally 2023. ArcelorMittal's 3D printing technology at its R+D+i Centre and Nebrija University's intelligent design algorithms have enabled the development of different car components. As a result, a new part connecting the car's side drawer to the lower flow steer, with a 20% weight reduction from the set limit, was printed in ArcelorMittal laboratories.The piece has been printed in the facilities of the R + D + i Center of Avilés and in its creation have participated the engineers specialized in design, computational analysis and manufacturing process. The technology used has been powder bed laser melting -LPBF- due to the geometry and resolution needs. The R + D + i team used for its manufacture a steel alloy grade 17-4PH to which a heat treatment was subsequently applied.For the design process, the mooring positions to the vehicle, the aerodynamic needs and the simulation of the forces received were taken into account to optimize the design space. The joint work of the different R + D + i teams allowed the time from receiving the case study to have the final pieces printed not to exceed three weeks. Having short cycles of development and production of new parts is a competitive advantage that allows to adapt to the changes and needs of the application as in this case motor vehicles for competition.ArcelorMittal has a technology innovation centre focused on the development of several cutting-edge technologies: 3D printing, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and green energy. Nebrija University integrates artificial intelligence techniques and generative models, intelligent design or generative design, to develop products that help ArcelorMittal add value to the automotive world. The relationship between both companies began a few years ago, with the development of a motorcycle chassis completely printed in 3D where it was demonstrated that steel could offer a lighter solution than aluminum (25% reduction in weight for this piece). This was the starting point of collaboration between both entities with the long-term objective of introducing more and more printed components in the automotive world and consolidating this technology.The Dakar Rally is the most mechanically demanding competition in the automotive world and, therefore, represents one of the best scenarios to implement the use of disruptive technologies, such as 3D printing. Nebrija University reached an agreement with the Sodicars brand, manufacturer of vehicles and sports structure with more than 11 years of experience in competition and in the world of Motorsport. The agreement focuses in particular on the redesign and technological improvements that will be applied to the BV2 vehicle of the Sodicars brand. Nebrija University leads the technological development and technical management part of the project with a team made up of undergraduate and master's students from Nebrija Polytechnic. Manolo Plaza, with more than 14 participations as a driver in this competition, and Mónica Plaza, father and daughter, have been in charge of driving the improved vehicle during the competition.
The students of the Madrid Spain based Nebrija University have been in charge of the redesign and technological improvement of a car of the Sodicars brand that has participated in the premier category T1 of the Dakar Rally 2023. ArcelorMittal's 3D printing technology at its R+D+i Centre and Nebrija University's intelligent design algorithms have enabled the development of different car components. As a result, a new part connecting the car's side drawer to the lower flow steer, with a 20% weight reduction from the set limit, was printed in ArcelorMittal laboratories.The piece has been printed in the facilities of the R + D + i Center of Avilés and in its creation have participated the engineers specialized in design, computational analysis and manufacturing process. The technology used has been powder bed laser melting -LPBF- due to the geometry and resolution needs. The R + D + i team used for its manufacture a steel alloy grade 17-4PH to which a heat treatment was subsequently applied.For the design process, the mooring positions to the vehicle, the aerodynamic needs and the simulation of the forces received were taken into account to optimize the design space. The joint work of the different R + D + i teams allowed the time from receiving the case study to have the final pieces printed not to exceed three weeks. Having short cycles of development and production of new parts is a competitive advantage that allows to adapt to the changes and needs of the application as in this case motor vehicles for competition.ArcelorMittal has a technology innovation centre focused on the development of several cutting-edge technologies: 3D printing, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and green energy. Nebrija University integrates artificial intelligence techniques and generative models, intelligent design or generative design, to develop products that help ArcelorMittal add value to the automotive world. The relationship between both companies began a few years ago, with the development of a motorcycle chassis completely printed in 3D where it was demonstrated that steel could offer a lighter solution than aluminum (25% reduction in weight for this piece). This was the starting point of collaboration between both entities with the long-term objective of introducing more and more printed components in the automotive world and consolidating this technology.The Dakar Rally is the most mechanically demanding competition in the automotive world and, therefore, represents one of the best scenarios to implement the use of disruptive technologies, such as 3D printing. Nebrija University reached an agreement with the Sodicars brand, manufacturer of vehicles and sports structure with more than 11 years of experience in competition and in the world of Motorsport. The agreement focuses in particular on the redesign and technological improvements that will be applied to the BV2 vehicle of the Sodicars brand. Nebrija University leads the technological development and technical management part of the project with a team made up of undergraduate and master's students from Nebrija Polytechnic. Manolo Plaza, with more than 14 participations as a driver in this competition, and Mónica Plaza, father and daughter, have been in charge of driving the improved vehicle during the competition.
