CRP Technology Challenges the Motorbike Racing World with Laser Sintering and WINDFORM
In the motor sports and automotive
industry, high performance, high quality and short time make the
difference. CRP Technology worked hard to improve properties not only
for functional testing models, but also for high-end prototypes and
small lot production parts.
Rapid prototypes made by laser sintering technology and WINDFORM® materials, including WINDFORM XT and WINDFORM GF, were largely used by CRP Technology on its 250cc motorbike, R250 (see Figure 1). The WINDFORM family was born in 1998 with WINDFORM GF (aluminium and glass filled), a compound later developed by other manufacturers and continued with WINDFORM PRO and PRO B (aluminium and glass flakes filled; graphite filled). The latest carbon fiber filled material branded WINDFORM XT was launched in December 2004, and is the laser sintering powder with the higher mechanical and thermal properties compared to all powders for this technology. Since its launch, it has been further improved and optimized.
The company began the challenge of building the racing motorbikes and facing the worldwide market in 2005 with a MotoGP 250 cc class bike. It was completely built by the CRP technical staff at the World Road Championship with the Fantic Motor brand. There was a general consensus and decision made by CRP Technology to get involved with motorbikes because they felt that the best way to test product developments was on the race track. CRP Technology was enthusiastic about this new challenge even though the new racing season was starting in just six months. This brought them face-to-face with the hard reality of the world championship, in which the previous results from the big factories was due to many years of study and development. So, in 2006 and 2007, CRP Technology decided to start step-by-step, with no hurry, to reach the world championship with CRP Racing. The final goal was that CRP Technology would enter the "circus" only when they were sure that they could go there and battle for first place.
In F1, everything is about reducing time—from the race track to delivering as many design iterations as possible. "In a wind tunnel, a half-scale car is continuously tested in as many aerodynamic configurations as time permits. And the inevitable question is—can you make parts that go on the actual car? The advantages would be immense if we could take that precious next step," says Steve Nevey, Red Bull Racing. WINDFORM XT suits exactly this requirement: it is perfect for wind tunnels and can be used to make master models for carbon lamination (also in autoclave) and can be sintered for race car parts. CRP used WINDFORM in order to bring a completely new bike to the MotoGP race track within six months and they are still using it for next season's business.
Reliable and High Performance Parts
Materials such as WINDFORM GF and XT have made it possible to use laser
sintering for reliable and high-performance parts ready to race.
Everything has been focused on a new air box configuration made by
WINDFORM XT for the CRP R250 Engine, combined with a special
carburettor insulator made by WINDFORM GF; and a new cowling, special
front mudguard with integrated air ducts and a rear mudguard and rider
seat all made by WINDFORM XT.
It was the beginning of a great new challenge. During the 2005 season, the most evident gap consisted in the power output of the engine. CRP Technology worked on the development of the engine using rapid prototyping technology and the WINDFORM materials. The 2005 250cc engine setup was a 90° two-cylinder, with a reed valve and two 40mm carburettors (see Figure 2, page 18).
There were two air intakes on the side of the cowling, bringing fresh air to the two separated air boxes. In order to obtain similar functionality of the two cylinders, several tests were made to study the configuration of the two separated air boxes. It was discovered, due to overall dimensions, that it wasn't possible to have two air boxes of the same dimensions. Looking at the curves in Figure 3, page 20 there is quite a regular output of power. In particular, notice a worsening of the power and torque curve due to the research of higher power in a lower range of use (see Figure 4, page 20).
The 2006 Season
For this reason, during the 2006 season, a one-piece air box in
WINDFORM was realized in order to exploit the space inside the frame
with the front air intake under the lower triple clamp (see Figure 6,
page 20). This permitted a similar behavior of the two cylinders,
making the setup of the engine easier. The engine immediately improved
and the setting of the two carburettors was similar.
As a result, there were no more difficulties with the fuel supply, since it was different from cylinder to cylinder. The lower cylinder's carburettor was very critical because the venturi was too close to the side of the air box. Therefore, the carburettor was rotated respecting the limits of the fuel level. Realizing a new structural induction insulator in WINDFORM XT, it was possible to improve the functionality of the cylinder n°2 (see Figures 5a and 5b, page 20). With an increase in volume, better geometry of the air box, better positioning of the lower carburettor and higher power and torque curve was achieved, allowing the rider to exploit the engine from low rpms (see Figures 7 and 8). Thanks to the mechanical wear resistance of CRP's SLS material, it was possible to realize the air box and the insulator directly in WINDFORM shortening the development and realization timing.
Additional Improvements
Cooling and Front Fender
Using an air box that exploits the whole space inside the frame, a big
increase of power has been achieved. This increase is ruined by the
engine's temperature that reaches 149 to 167°F with peaks of 165 to
176°F in the worse climatic conditions. These temperatures penalize the
efficiency of the engine, frustrating the job done on the air box.
To resolve this problem, a new front fender, also functioning as an air conveyor, was created, exploiting the potentialities of the rapid prototyping (see Figure 9). It was realized in WINDFORM XT and the idea was to bring fresh air to those "hidden" parts of the radiator to increase the engine's cooling (see Figure 10, page 24). Using SLS technology and WINDFORM XT material, it was possible to realize the fender in a very short time and lowered the temperature to 2°C with absolutely no side effects for assembling and dynamics.
Rear Fender
In order to optimize the air flux in the rear part of the bike and
avoid turbulences, a rear fender with two lateral fins to protect the
swing arm was realized in WINDFORM XT in a very short time. This part
is really important to help the extraction of the hot air flux from the
front and has a duct inside for the rear braking oil pipe (see Figures
12a and 12b, page 26).
Fairing
The next step was to improve the cooling and the aerodynamics in the
penetration and the hot air extraction (see Figure 11). From 2005, the
air's front entry of the R250GP fairings increased in order to exploit
the whole radiator and to facilitate the air's entry. This solution has
been tested on the track and it has been confirmed that the importance
of the shape of the upper fairing makes for better cooling of the
engine.
Making the Difference
In motor sports and automotive, high performance, high quality and
short time make the difference. CRP worked hard to improve properties
not only for functional testing models, but also for high-end
prototypes and small lot production parts. Unfortunately, the bike was
stopped due to the proceeding of the new 125 project that is considered
a better point of start for future developments. The R250 is a project
that will be completed and developed in a not far future, as soon as
the 125 project is completely developed.
CRP Technology's new racing department, CRP Racing, was founded in December 2006 and is focused on the development of a completely new 125cc two-stroke engine and motorcycle. CRP Racing is also testing the different project's steps during the 2007 season in the Italian Championship (C.I.V.) and in the Honda Trophy RS 125GP with the 22-year-old rider Riccardo Moretti (see Figure 13 [PRIMO], page 26).
The season actually began very well for the whole team, with the victory of the first two races of the Honda Trophy RS 125GP, first at Vallelunga (Rome) and then at Mugello (Florence) after the conquest of the pole position. Riccardo Moretti is now clearly a protagonist for the final victory of this prestigious Italian Trophy. However, unfortunately, in the first CIV 2007 race at Mugello, Moretti crashed when he was in third. During the second race, at Monza (Milan), he finished the race in seventh place, due to some setup difficulties during the practice that forced him to start from the 12th position on the grid.
The team is now busy working on the development of the electronics in addition to new engine configurations and other important news. The motorcycle is developed inside the Italian factory, besides designing and testing the various projects on the dyno, the main goal is to develop a higher performance engine and the whole team is working really hard on it every day. The results are very encouraging and development is going forward to the test of the complete engine within the end of the year. Waiting to see Ilmor back to the MotoGP, with the latest development done with CRP's support, CRP Technology and CRP Racing are therefore always ready to face new challenges in the motorbike world too.
For more information, contact Dr. Eng. Livia Cevolini, Marketing and Sales director for CRP Technology. Visit the Web sites at http://www.crptechnology.com or www.windform.it.
