RPS fuels OBR’s Formula Student success thanks to 3D printing

Oxford Brooks Racing (OBR) is participating in Formula Student, Europe’s most established educational engineering competition. Formula Student celebrated its 20th anniversary last year and is backed by industry and high profile engineers such as Patron and Ross Brawn OBE. This year, for the second time in a row, OBR is working with RPS on the Formula Student car. RPS was of assistance for a range of components such as the intake plenum and the aero package.

RPS is one of the leading companies working with stereolithography and laser sintering equipment. With proven experience in 3D printing, the company was able to provide advice and expertise for OBR’s Formula Student car. Implemented also during the 2018 season, RPS’ NEO800 stereolithography with DSM Somos PerFORM resin allowed the team to 3D print the moulds able to stand against the heat and the pressure of an autoclave. As a result, both the accuracy of parts and the turnaround from design to manufacture was massively accelerated.

The NEO800 solution from RPS

The NEO800 is an industrial large-format stereolithography system designed by RPS engineers. Some of the features of this machine include exceptional layer-to-layer scanning repeatability, producing parts with industry-leading sidewall quality and the dynamic laser focusing enables parts to be highly accurate and detailed. “The ability to use RPS’ NEO800 stereolithography, with DSM Somos resin and HP Multi Jet Fusion technology has proven the benefits of using the perfect combination of innovative technology and engineering design”, said the University team.