If drilling or other machining is required, the parts are sent back to the CNC division. This ensures that all parts can fit together properly. Even parts formed to such precise specifications must be detailed by human hands to fit properly. When finished, the parts are sent to the assembly division for finishing. Since this process is computer controlled, the design team can change the programs as necessary. The pressure, combined with the vacuum bag, ensures that components fit the molds exactly, while the heat (usually between 130 and 140☌) hardens the resin. The autoclave is a sealed vessel that applies pressure (between two and six times normal atmospheric pressure) and heat. Once the parts have been put in a vacuum bag, they are moved to the autoclave. The material is then put in a vacuum bag. This pattern of interwoven matting is what gives the finished component its strength. The cut sheets are laid into molds of predetermined patters in a special air-conditioned clean room. Some detailed cutting work is also performed by hand. An ultrasonic cutting machine is not a luxury- its speed and accuracy are vital. Until it is cut, the carbon fiber has to be stored at - 18 ☌, because it begins to harden at room temperature. Most structural composite components have an aluminum honeycomb core bonded with several layers of carbon fiber.Ī computer-controlled ultrasonic cutting machine slices precisely measured sheets of resin-impregnated carbon fiber cloth. In the composites department, the car as you recognize it begins to take shape. As well as producing suspension and gearbox components, the CNC workshop makes the majority of the engine and many of the patterns that are used in the composites department to create the bodywork molds. This is the sort of precision that F1 demands. The machines in Toyota's CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) department can mill the smallest of components to an accuracy of four microns - about 25 times less than the width of a human hair - from a range of materials that include aluminum and magnesium. To achieve the highest standard of quality and consistency, Panasonic Toyota Racing uses the most sophisticated measuring equipment available. They do not have the structural strength of carbon fiber, but can be used in the wind tunnel or as molds for composite parts. The lasersinter is a high-accuracy laser that selectively fuses together a polyamide powder to create the component. The composites department has a lasersinter machine that can produce high-quality parts in only a few hours. Modern technology enables the designers to produce prototype parts easily, quickly and accurately. Designers also need to produce several variations of certain parts to suit specific circuits, including larger brake ducts for tracks that require heavy braking. A more powerful engine, for instance, will generate more heat, so the designers will have to improve heat dissipation - perhaps by installing larger radiators, or by finding more clever ways to vent the hot air aft of the radiators without impairing the aerodynamics. The designers look to make many changes during the course of a season, whether to try out new aerodynamic parts or to accommodate changes to the engine or gearbox. The team must balance potentially conflicting spatial requirements of the engine and gearbox, while the suspension and the aerodynamics must be reconciled into a package that is quick, but not unwieldy to actually produce and repair.Īlthough F1 cars must conform to a minimum weight limit of 600kg, the advantage of building the car underweight is that the engineers can optimize it to suit individual circuits by mounting ballast on different parts of the chassis. An F1 car has about 3,500 separate elements, the majority of which have to be designed separately but must fit together with the utmost precision.īut long before any of the details have been designed, an F1 team determines the overall philosophy for their car. Working under Keizo Takahashi, general manager of car design and development, Toyota's design department uses CATIA's state-of-the-art computer-aided design (CAD) software.
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