Rapid prototyping technology keeps race team on track

After each race, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) engineers have just three days to diagnose a problem, find a solution and implement it before the car ships to the next race.

Engineers perform this feat by creating concept models, functional prototypes, manufacturing tools and end-use parts in a matter of hours.
It’s JGR’s ability to speed from concept model to production part that has led it to three championships and positioned it as one of the most competitive teams on the NASCAR circuit.

In a recent race, a tyre blew out on a JGR car, forcing it to crash and leave the race. It was determined that extreme heat from a brake rotor overheated the tyre, causing the blowout. A duct outlet supplying air to the tyre was not doing its job.

In the past, it would have taken at least several weeks to develop a concept design, build a prototype using CNC machines, evaluate the prototype’s performance, update the design, build a new prototype, build a mould via CNC to make a composite part, make the part and finally install it on the car. By this time, the team would have run the risk of losing several races.