Bugatti has been making headlines with its news of the biggest 3D printed component made using titanium; a brake caliper that has been designed specifically for the Chiron hyper-car. The firm continued testing the brake caliper extensively throughout the last year before it entered production.
The video that we will be sharing with you by the end of this post shows just how rigorous and extreme the testing procedures have been for the 3D printed brake caliper. You can watch the titanium brake caliper getting installed on a machine that mimics Chiron traveling at high speeds of up to 233 mph.
The testing team then applies the brakes for analyzing just how good the 3D printed brake caliper is in comparison to the conventionally casted aluminum caliper. The results are amazing, to say the least. The brake caliper remains intact even after the punishing tests and temperatures that go up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The testing procedure also creates a series of fireworks as sparks fly and the brake disc heats and exhibits an orange glow. Yet, the 3D printed titanium brake caliper remains intact and true to its goal. Bugatti made use of 400-watt lasers for manufacturing the caliper. It takes about 45 hours to build one with a total of 2,213 layers of Titanium powder being deposited one after the other. It is then taken to a heat treatment furnace where it is baked, and any residual stress is removed. The final product can handle 275 pounds of force applied to a square millimeter.
It measures in at a length of 16 inches and weighs in at only 6.4 pounds – allowing Bugatti to save 40% of the weight as opposed to the conventional component. It will be installed for the front axle of the car and eight pistons – much similar to the existing aluminum caliper. It sure is refreshing to see 3D printing becoming more and more involved in the automotive industry. Check out the video below and let us know what you think of this amazing caliper!
