Van Amersfoort Racing: Additive manufacturing when every second counts

Motorsport has long been a breeding ground for technological advancements. Engineers in this highly specialized field dedicate countless hours, vying against exceptional innovators from across the globe—masters in automotive engineering, aerospace, data analytics, and other disciplines—striving to design vehicles that are faster, more robust, and built to last. Van Amersfoort Racing is a prime example of this relentless pursuit.

The Dutch team competes in both Formula 3 and Formula 4, being champions in countless races and championships. It has also helped top talents, such as Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, prepare for Formula 1.

But its success hasn’t stopped Van Amersfoort Racing from finding new ways to leave its competition in the dust. That’s why the team started using 3D printing or additive manufacturing.

At the starting line

Last year, in preparation for the F3 Formula Regional, Van Amersfoort Racing decided to use the chassis supplied by the renowned Italian manufacturer Tatuus, recognized for its stability and greater power. At first glance, the deal was wonderful, but…

«We received the cars only two weeks before the race weekend. The car arrived in the workshop and we had no tools, nothing. In just two weeks we had to be ready for the first race.»

– said Remco Advocaat, technical director of the Formula 3 team Van Amersfoort Racing.

Formula cars must be perfectly tuned before they are ready for the track. It’s an exact science, where tenths of a second can make the difference between a place on the podium and a defeat. Just two weeks before race day, Van Amersfoort found himself in a difficult position.

“Additive manufacturing helped us a lot here,” Remco said. “We were able to produce the tools we needed in just two days. And we could never have done that with traditional manufacturing methods.”

By developing custom tools with 3D printers, the team was able to dedicate every second to fine-tuning their vehicles. A rear alignment tool, for example, was made to place on the tailgate of a Formula 3 car. This allowed mechanics to precisely adjust the car’s wheels to ensure they were perfectly matched to the track.

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The rear alignment tool used carbon rods from which a stretched wire serves as a reference for the center point of the vehicle. It was extremely important that these rods were positioned precisely. Because standard materials like PLA are not strong and rigid enough, the team began experimenting with carbon fiber-reinforced materials made by Clariant.

“I’ve printed a lot with conventional materials, but with Clariant carbon fiber materials the possibilities are endless,” Remco said. “Now we are able to find solutions that withstand the extreme environments in which we work.”

Clariant PA6/66 20CF is a nylon material containing 20% ​​carbon fibre, offering the perfect properties for the job. Since the Ultimaker S5 uses an open filament system, it had no problems printing material using an Ultimaker CC 0.6 print core.

Clariant also provided the team with custom PET-G filament used for the “internal cushions” of the rear alignment tool, preventing the paint from being scratched during installation of the tool. The PET-G is fluorescent orange, just like the decals on the Van Amersfoort Racing Formula 3 car, and offers a sleek, professional look in keeping with the team’s aesthetic.

From spectators to champions

As the team’s engineers created advanced parts using the Ultimaker S5, other members of the Van Amersfoort Racing team began to notice the true possibilities of 3D additive manufacturing.

“The additive manufacturing philosophy has grown within the company,” Remco said. “More often you see a mechanic asking for a specific 3D printed tool.”

Additive manufacturing has allowed the team to address challenges and create solutions in ways that were previously more challenging. Mechanics who work on car front brakes, for example, have created a simple tool holder that can be placed on the car’s suspension. Now, when performing maintenance work, every tool or part needed to assemble a vehicle is always in plain sight and close at hand.

The tools, jigs and fixtures created by Van Amersfoort Racing engineers with 3D printers have made processes more efficient and tasks in the garage and on the track easier. The team continues to discover new applications almost every day, using additive manufacturing and other technologies.

“Due to the significant size of our fleet of F3 and F4 cars, the amount of requests is enormous,” Remco said. “I can imagine that large companies, such as car manufacturers, could produce many tools with 3D printing.”