Stratasys has partnered with Radford, an iconic luxury automotive brand, to manufacture over 500 3D-printed parts for the Lotus Type 62-2 coach-built, as shown in the Discovery+ documentary, Radford Returns.
When Ant Anstead and former Formula One champion and car designer Mark Stubbs set out to build the retro-modern Lotus Type 62-2 supercar, they turned to additive manufacturing to enable an agile development and production process.
To print components for the Lotus vehicle, Radford used large-format in-house Stratasys F770™ and F900™ printers that offer 13 and 18 cubic feet of build volume, and thermoplastic materials such as ABS-CF10 (carbon fiber) and ASA for tooling and production. In addition, Radford utilized Stratasys Direct’s 3D-printing services to print the cars’ rear taillight components in PolyJet™ and Stereolithography (SLA).
One of the supercar’s components is a rear lamp with a sub assembly that is entirely 3d printed. Stratasys Direct printed several of the rear lamp components, which features a sub assembly that is entirely 3D printed. The main carrier was printed in FDM using ASA material, while the clear lens was made in stereolithography. Interior lens components were also 3D printed using PolyJet technology.
Additionally, many exterior items like side mirror housings, radiator ducts and body vents were printed in FDM® Nylon 12 Carbon Fiber and ASA materials. Numerous mounting brackets throughout the car were printed in FDM Nylon 12 CF due to many factors including strength requirements, the aggressive project schedule and complete design freedom.
Utilizing Stratasys equipment and Stratasys Direct part services to give a deeper level of customization