How Hexagon Red Bull Formula One offers its vanguard

In high-speed, high-performance industries such as Formula 1 racing, the adoption of cutting-edge digital manufacturing technologies such as scanning and 3D printing is rapidly transforming the landscape. The appeal of 3D printing in Formula 1 largely mirrors that of the aerospace industry, focusing on lightening, strengthening parts and improving overall performance.

The Oracle Red Bull Racing team, in collaboration with Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, is at the forefront of using these advanced technologies. VoxelMatters recently had the privilege of visiting Red Bull’s Innovation Center in Milton Keynes, UK to witness first-hand how these two companies collaborate to stay at the forefront of the competitive world of motorsports.

The center is a hive of activity, driven by a relentless pursuit of innovation. The partnership between Red Bull and Hexagon is centered on speeding up engineering and manufacturing processes – in an attempt to save fractions of a second on lap time. Every Formula 1 team uses technology from Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence in one way or another. However, Red Bull is the company’s only innovation partner.

Hexagon is truly an enormous company. It is involved in more than 350,000 construction sites worldwide, and its solutions contribute to 3.5 million agricultural vehicles, 90% of all airplanes, 95% of all commercial vehicles and 75% of all smartphones. Having invested $800 million in group-wide R&D, it has seen a five-fold return on that investment to date. With 27,000 active customers in EMEA, Hexagon uses digital technologies to understand and improve real-world applications – spanning design, manufacturing and quality inspection.

Red Bull X Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence

Red Bull’s 18-year partnership with Hexagon has seen the team adopt and test new technology, with Red Bull often being a beta testing partner for unreleased technology – giving them a significant advantage, allowing them to integrate the latest advances well in their development process. before the competition. One of the outstanding achievements of this partnership is the 50% reduction in manufacturing errors in the last two years. For Red Bull, maintaining a balance between speed and quality is an absolute must – made possible by these innovations.

Red Bull’s ultimate goal is to maximize performance – a mission that aligns perfectly with Hexagon’s expertise in optimizing manufacturing productivity and reducing research and development time and costs. This synergy has contributed significantly to Red Bull’s recent success, with the team winning the last three F1 championships. The relationship has also led Hexagon to develop niche technologies tailored to the team’s needs – fostering a dynamic feedback loop that benefits both parties.

Digital twins and simulations

A particularly interesting aspect of Red Bull’s approach is the team’s use of digital twins and simulations. These technologies allow the team to create virtual models of their cars and test them in different conditions before the physical prototypes are built. The entire car is designed in CAD and subjected to computational fluid dynamics analysis, which acts as a virtual wind tunnel. This is followed by simulator testing, where the performance of the car is closely mimicked on selected tracks around the world – incorporating feedback to continually iterate and refine the design.

After evaluating the digital twins, physical prototypes for wind tunnel testing are 3D printed using stereolithography at 60% scale—an approach that is both cost-effective and significantly speeds up the development process. The properties of the parts are then evaluated at the company’s facility in Bedford – a site of historical significance as the former test site for the Concorde supersonic jet.

Earlier this year, Red Bull also used a 3D printed drone from Dutch Drone Gods, a drone manufacturer in the Netherlands, which is capable of speeds of up to 350 km/h, to follow the new Red Bull Racing Max Verstappen’s RB20 F1. car for a full tour of the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.

Adapting to change

The Red Bull team’s ability to adapt to different environmental conditions, such as the varying air densities in Mexico versus Spain, exemplifies their commitment to optimizing every aspect of performance. This adaptability extends to their meticulous approach to component lifecycle management, with a two-week cycle for every component they produce.

The integration of AI into the team’s development and design processes is another exciting development, with AI acting as a co-pilot in manufacturing – aiding collaborative workflows and increasing decision-making efficiency. This has profound implications for the future of automotive design and manufacturing. As Formula 1 continues to serve as a laboratory for innovation, the knowledge gained through partnerships like these is poised to influence the wider automotive industry – translating racetrack advances into real-world applications.