30-05-2012, 12:07 PM
Motorsport Case study
[attachment=23482]
Introduction
CRP Technology is constantly active in researching and studying new solutions and materials,
exploiting the laser sintering technology, aimed at RP and RM.
Let’s talk about the new project developed (right now being in a testing and improving
phase) by CRP Technology’s RP Department in collaboration with CRP Racing: a 125cc
bike reed valve made by the new flexible material Windform® FX and SLS technology.
Development
The reed valve frame made in Windform® FX represents a great example of an excellent
union between CRP Technology’s R&D Department and the applications on track carried out by
CRP Racing.
The most innovative aspects about this application are the material used and the results
obtained, such as a better performance of the reed valve, a better repeatability and
production speed and its lower cost.
The material used is the newly created Windform® FX, the latest material from the
Windform® family, invented by CRP Technology in 1996. Windform® FX was launched in June
2007 and is a new generation polyamide based material, in which mechanical and repeatable
characteristics make it particularly suitable for Rapid Manufacturing applications.
Thanks to these structural properties, Windform® FX was chosen to manufacture the
frame of the reed valve, a component that has to be stiff and overall resistant to shocks and
vibrations.
To better understand why Windform® FX was chosen for the realization of the reed valve it’s
necessary to give a short description of this component and its characteristics.
The Reed valves restrict flow of gases to a single direction and consist of thin flexible metal,
fiberglass or carbonfiber strips fixed on one end that open and close upon changing pressures
across opposite sides of the valve.
The reed valve frame is wedge-shaped; the base is completely open and is the intake side
area, while on the side faces which are bigger there are windows which are the passage area
on the crankcase side.
Elastic thin reeds called “blades” are applied above such windows completely covering them.
These blades raise up and allow the transit of the flow (mix of air and fuel) when the difference
of the pressure between the inside of the crankcase and the outside is bigger.
The dimensions and the shape of the frame and the windows determine the flow of
the fuel when the blades are at maximum opening position.
Therefore the dimensions depend on the engine characteristics and the shape is studied to
reduce as much as possible the fluid dynamic loss.
The blade is the component that determines the system functionality, and the valve
opening and closing rule does actually depend on its characteristics.
[attachment=23482]
Introduction
CRP Technology is constantly active in researching and studying new solutions and materials,
exploiting the laser sintering technology, aimed at RP and RM.
Let’s talk about the new project developed (right now being in a testing and improving
phase) by CRP Technology’s RP Department in collaboration with CRP Racing: a 125cc
bike reed valve made by the new flexible material Windform® FX and SLS technology.
Development
The reed valve frame made in Windform® FX represents a great example of an excellent
union between CRP Technology’s R&D Department and the applications on track carried out by
CRP Racing.
The most innovative aspects about this application are the material used and the results
obtained, such as a better performance of the reed valve, a better repeatability and
production speed and its lower cost.
The material used is the newly created Windform® FX, the latest material from the
Windform® family, invented by CRP Technology in 1996. Windform® FX was launched in June
2007 and is a new generation polyamide based material, in which mechanical and repeatable
characteristics make it particularly suitable for Rapid Manufacturing applications.
Thanks to these structural properties, Windform® FX was chosen to manufacture the
frame of the reed valve, a component that has to be stiff and overall resistant to shocks and
vibrations.
To better understand why Windform® FX was chosen for the realization of the reed valve it’s
necessary to give a short description of this component and its characteristics.
The Reed valves restrict flow of gases to a single direction and consist of thin flexible metal,
fiberglass or carbonfiber strips fixed on one end that open and close upon changing pressures
across opposite sides of the valve.
The reed valve frame is wedge-shaped; the base is completely open and is the intake side
area, while on the side faces which are bigger there are windows which are the passage area
on the crankcase side.
Elastic thin reeds called “blades” are applied above such windows completely covering them.
These blades raise up and allow the transit of the flow (mix of air and fuel) when the difference
of the pressure between the inside of the crankcase and the outside is bigger.
The dimensions and the shape of the frame and the windows determine the flow of
the fuel when the blades are at maximum opening position.
Therefore the dimensions depend on the engine characteristics and the shape is studied to
reduce as much as possible the fluid dynamic loss.
The blade is the component that determines the system functionality, and the valve
opening and closing rule does actually depend on its characteristics.