AIRCRAFT3D
Big size rapid prototyping with Sharebot QXXL

Aircraft 3D is a big-size model realized by our R&D technicians with Sharebot QXXL, our professional 3D printer ready for industries with filament deposition technology. The printer has a unique large printing volume (700 x 400 x 300 mm) with a special 0,8 mm nozzle to create solid prototypes for automotive and mechanical engineering (QXXL can be used to create automotive models like bumpers).

The aircraft was modeled to be printed in 11 printing processes: 8 for the body, 2 for the wings, and 1 for the tail. During the modeling process, our technicians set size and geometries to ease the printing process, adapting different parts to a bigger 3D printer (the first model draft was drawn for XXL Plus then Daniele Fumagalli adapted for the QXXL building volume).

All the parts were printed with a 0,8 mm nozzle setting a 0,6 mm layer. These settings with Sharebot QXXL help to optimize the workflow on big size models by speeding up the printing process without affecting the quality and definition: the entire process lasted 206 hours (as you can note, having a remote management system and filament presence sensor helped to have a safe process during the week-long printing time – 206 hours). According to our technicians, using a traditional 0,4 mm nozzle would have cost another week of printing time: more than 500 hours rather than 200 hrs.

Post-print process
One of the advantages provided by 3D printing regards the possibility to post-work the model after the printing process. Aircraft 3D was assembled with traditional glue then both the body, the tail, and the wings have been treated with plaster to polish the surface and removing the little rungs left by the layer. Once plasted, the aircraft was varnished with acrylic colors (black and white like the Shrebot colors).

APRILIA RACING: SEASON 2018

For the 2018 Aprilia Racing season, thanks to the use of Sharebot 3D printers and Help3D technical support, drilling templates were created for the front fairing of the bike. The 3D models of the template were made directly on the CAD designed fairing and then printed in 3D with Sharebot QXXL.

These drilling guides have allowed the team to make holes with extreme precision without having to use the classic patterns applied then manually. It is also possible to note that the fins (in carbon) have surfaces already shaped for the fairing, therefore it is necessary that the holes made on the hull are as precise as possible to ensure that the fin adheres best to the hull with perfect position and angle.

CASE STUDY – “FOOTBOARD SUPPORT”
It is not a secret, the bike must be “sewn” on the pilot. Not only for a matter of feeling and comfort but also to optimize the rider’s aerodynamics on the bike.

The footboard support plays a fundamental role in positioning the rider on the bike: they are generally very backward and raised compared to a road bike. If not properly sized they may even be uncomfortable for the pilot and could lead him to take uncomfortable and unnatural driving positions.

Aprilia Racing, thanks to the use of Sharebot 3D printers and Help3D technical support, has created a series of PLA footboard supports with Sharebot printer to understand which were the most suitable for pilots of the team. After analyzing different solutions and finding the perfect ones for each pilot, the footrest supports were milled by obtaining them from the billet by CNC milling machines.

This process has allowed Aprilia to reduce the design time but above all the manufacturing costs of each single footboard support, offering at the same time better shape customization for each pilot.

CASE STUDY – “AIRBOX REDUCTION”
The performance of an engine also depends very much on how and how much it “breathes”. The sizing of an Airbox for a MotoGp requires a meticulous study of the flows and turbulences that are created inside the air box or airbox. The material used to create the Airbox is carbon fiber, very light and resistant. The disadvantage is that it requires a mold to be made: thin sheets of carbon pre-impregnated with epoxy resin are laid on the mold and then placed in an autoclave to complete the process of catalysis and extraction of air bubbles.

For the 2018 season, Aprilia Racing, thanks to the use of Sharebot 3D printers and Help3D technical support, has created a series of PLA airbox reductions with the Sharebot QXXL printer. By modeling different inserts / reductions, the technicians of the racing department were able to test different volumes at the test bench starting only from an airbox. This process has made it possible to identify the best geometry of the Airbox without necessarily having to make a mold and subsequent lamination with carbon each time, thus saving time and costs. The printing of the gear reducer insert even allows to carry out various tests on the test bench, simply replacing it without having to remove the airbox each time. Once the best geometry has been identified, only one mold is made to laminate the final airbox.