Motorsport Wind Tunnel Testing

Engineered for speed, built for extremes

Lightweight structures, rapid iteration cycles, and uncompromising performance make 3D printing a powerful tool on and off the track. From prototype to race-day component, every gram and every detail counts.

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Advantages

Benefits of using 3D printing

Smarter parts, fewer limits.

Faster turnaround

Due to the high demand and oftentimes short time windows for the usage of wind tunnels, 3D printing reduces time from concept to product enabling quick design iterations to achieve the desired results.

Lower investment

Testing on low cost representative models is unrivaled compared to conventional production, giving you the financial freedom to iterate multiple designs.

Increased Design Complexity

By expanding geometric, hierarchical, material, and functional possibilities, you can achieve weight reduction, improved functional integration, and superior aesthetics–giving you a distinct edge over the competition.

Possibilities

Example Applications

Customized Aerodynamic Components

Specific examples include brake duct inlets that optimize airflow for brake cooling, rear-wing flaps made with lay-up tools for increased downforce, engine pistons to reduce weight without sacrificing strength, roll hoops with lightweight lattice designs for driver safety, and brake pedals with intricate spider web-like structures for weight reduction and structural stability.

Tooling for Wind Tunnel Models

Specific examples include custom tooling, jigs and fixtures that exactly fits the particular shapes and requirements for aerodynamic components, increasing the precision and efficiency of wind tunnel tests.

Spare Parts Production

3D printing is used to swiftly and affordably generate spare parts for wind tunnel models. 3D printing ensures that motorsport teams can effectively maintain their testing equipment and avoid downtime during critical testing phases.

Materialien

Our recommended materials for wind tunnel testing

Somos® PerFORM™ from Stratasys®

Somos® PerFORM™ is a stereolithography material from Stratasys® designed for strong, rigid, high-temperature composite parts. Its detail resolution and rigidity make it the optimal choice for representative prototype parts for wind tunnel testing. The material offers superior heat resistance (HDT >140°C) and stiffness (flexural modulus ~9,000 MPa), making it ideal for durable wind tunnel models, intake prototypes, and autoclave tooling that withstand vibration and thermal cycling.

Paired with Somos® Perform™, the Neo®800+ offers an unparalleled solution for the motorsport industry. The printer features an 800 × 800 × 600 mm build volume, a 4 watts 355 nm solid-state frequency tripler Nd:YVO4 laser, and a dynamic beam focus ranging from 120–750 μm.

Materials

Printable with

Somos® GP Plus from Stratasys®

Somos® GP Plus, a stereolithography all-purpose resin, delivers isotropic mechanical properties with a tensile strength of approx. 37 MPa, an elongation at break of 7.5%, and a heat deflection temperature (HDT) of 46°C at 0.46 MPa. It offers good impact resistance and low viscosity (~340 cps @ 30°C) for fast recoating, and produces parts with smooth surfaces — ideal for low-friction wind tunnel models. The material's chemical resistance, excellent moisture resistance, and dimensional stability minimize warping under aerodynamic loads and after curing.

Somos® GP Plus resin pairs exceptionally well with the Stratasys® Neo®800, a large-format 800 × 800 × 600 mm stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer, for motorsport applications — particularly wind tunnel testing — thanks to its high-speed production of durable, highly detailed prototypes. The material closely resembles production plastics such as ABS and PBT, making it well suited for functional prototypes, concept models, and low-volume production runs.

Materials

Printable with

Somos® WaterShed® Black from Stratasys®

Somos® WaterShed® Black is a stereolithography material from Stratasys® that is ideally suited for wind tunnel model applications. Based on Somos® WaterShed® XC 11122 technology, it features a tensile strength of 50.4 MPa, a flexural strength of 68.7 MPa, and a viscosity of ~260 cps at 30°C. It offers dimensional stability, fine detail resolution, smooth surface finish, and excellent moisture and chemical resistance — making it ideal for precise, long-lasting aerodynamic testing.

On the Stratasys® Neo®800 with its 800 × 800 × 600 mm build platform, the true black color straight off the printer, minimal post-processing, and consistent handling eliminate finishing steps such as painting — saving both time and cost.

Materials