EDITOR ’ S CHOICE SUCCESSFUL MACHINING
CGTECH
Vericut provides safe and optimised machining operations for the mercedes-amg petronas formula one team
The machine shop of the Mercedes- AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team relies on VERICUT verification , simulation and optimisation software from CGTech to guarantee the successful machining of its many high-complexity , high-value components . A VERICUT user for over two decades , the team has engrained VERICUT into its Standard Operating Procedures ( SOPs ), aware of the benefits it provides in reducing machine collisions and component scrap , while simultaneously optimising lead time .
Today , the Machine Shop at the Team headquarters in Brackley , Northamptonshire , not only manufactures parts for the race cars , but also for several customer programmes , including other Formula One Teams and the INEOS Britannia Americas Cup sailing Team .
“ We are pretty diverse with our component supply , but in all cases reaction time is key : for our race car we sometimes only have 24 hours from design release to delivery ,” reveals Machine Shop Manager Robert Brown . “ VERICUT really helps as it gives us the confidence to start the machine running safely , enabling us to switch our focus onto another activity , such as writing programs or setting up tools for the next part . This is far preferable to requiring the presence of an operator at the machine , monitoring the cutting process to mitigate the risk of a collision .”
Formula One Teams have been operating within a cost cap for the past couple of years , imposed by the FIA , the sport ’ s governing body , so the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team cannot afford to be non-productive .
“ Today , more than ever , championships could be won or lost in the factory ,” states Mr Brown . “ Obviously without the right drivers we ’ re not going to win , but there ’ s a reason the sport currently has three dominant teams : because those teams can develop and engineer cars on a scale that no one else can match .”
According to Production Engineer James Peddle , the cost cap has not changed this capability : “ Some thought the cost cap would change the order of the grid , but the well-resourced teams with good structures and processes in place have continued to do well . At Mercedes , we ’ ve got leaner and doubled down on how much value we can extract from our time . As an organisation we are more efficient now than we were two years ago , before the introduction of the cost cap .”
ADVANCED MACHINE TOOLS
The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team has 25 machine tools on site at Brackley , including : five-axis machining centres ; five-axis turn-mill centres ; four and three-axis milling machines ; and four and two-axis CNC lathes .
“ The enemy of Formula One cars is weight , so approximately 60 % of our parts are made from various types of aluminium alloy ,” says Mr Brown . “ A further 30 % are made from titanium , with the remaining 10 % comprising steels , other alloys and plastics . Batch sizes of 8-12 are typical for our five-axis machines . Five-axis machining is our speciality and where the team gets its value from this department . We can get high-complexity parts up and running quickly , working closely with the design team to manage any iterations .”
One of the principal challenges is minimising cycle times for these highly complex components without compromising quality . A recent case in point was a titanium front axle .
“ The cycle time for this part was in the region of 70 hours over five operations ,” says Mr Peddle . “ Due to the nature of the material , we were limited by the speed of machining . However , by using the latest machining methodology from one of our suppliers , we managed to reduce the lead time by 50 %.”
“ We always get really good solid-model transfer from tooling suppliers into VERICUT for our simulations ,” he adds . “ Whenever we need a bespoke cutting tool , we can do the modifications virtually and seamlessly , and complete the simulation before we place our order for the tool , so we know for certain that it will work .”
ADDED VALUE
There is little doubting the value that VERICUT adds to operations at the Machine
6 PECM Issue 59