3D PORSCHE PARTS
THE UNAVAIL ABILITY of parts can lead to resto budgets blow ing out or, worse still, being shelved. But not if you plan on rev iv ing a Porsche.
Using t he latest 3D printing technolog y, Porsche is reproducing rare and outof-date parts t hat meet t heir original specification, from both a technica l and v isua l perspective.
Currently the Porsche Classic range includes 52,000 parts and is growing. If a part is no longer in stock or dwindling in number, it’s reproduced using t he orig inal tools ; for la rger quantities production may require t he use of new tools.
But ensuring the continuit y of small batch parts is a challenge as producing them using new tools can be inefficient.
This is where 3D printing comes into t he picture.
Before producing a particular component Porsche Classic eva luates various manufacturing processes. As 3D printing continues to improve and costs genera lly decrease, wit h no loss of qualit y, t his form of manufacturing is becoming a v iable a lternative.
Porsche uses the example of a clutch release lever for a 959, a part no longer available. It was orig inally made from grey cast iron and only 292 were made. To reproduce the release lever, a layer of powder y tool steel less t han 0.1 millimetres t hick is applied to a processing plate in a computerised process.
A high-energ y light beam melts the powder in t he desired locations to create a steel layer and t he complete three-dimensional component is produced, layer by layer.
The component is tested wit h a load of a lmost three tonnes followed by practica l tests wit h t he lever insta lled in a test vehicle and extensive driv ing tests to confirm its integrit y.
Plastic components are manufactured using a select ive laser sintering printer, where t he materia l is heated to just below melting point and the remaining energ y is applied t hrough a laser to f use t he plastic powder at a selected point.
All parts are subject to t he qualit y requirements of t he original production period as a minimum, though they usually meet higher standards.
Accuracy in terms of size and fit is ensured by performing tests wit h t he part insta lled. Depending on t he area of application, plastic parts made of various materia ls as in t he original must be resista nt to oils, f uels, acids and light.