Stratasys named official 3D printing partner for Toyota Racing Development

Stratasys Ltd. (Eden Prairie, Minn., U.S. and Rehovot, Israel) has been named an official partner of Toyota Racing Development (TRD, Costa Mesa, Calif., U.S.). The partnership will make its debut with 3D-printed production parts on the forthcoming Toyota GR86 for the GR Cup, a new single-make racing series sanctioned by SRO America, using Stratasys’ Fortus 450mc, F370 and new composite-ready F370CR 3D printers.

“Additive manufacturing has allowed us to quickly iterate, design and create parts for our race vehicles in a way that would have been far more expensive or labor intensive through traditional manufacturing methods,” David Wilson, president of TRD, says. “By partnering with Stratasys, we are able to advance our manufacturing practices beyond what is currently possible and really harness the possibilities of additive manufacturing for production parts.”

TRD is expanding its use of additive manufacturing (AM) from prototyping to end-use parts by also integrating the Stratasys Fortus 450mc, F370 and the new composite-ready F370CR 3D printers into its manufacturing facilities in Salisbury, N.C., and Costa Mesa, Calif. The industrial-grade 3D printers will be used to create end-use parts, including an FDM Nylon 12CF hood vent for the new production vehicle, the Toyota GR86, as well as to create a wide range of end-use parts across the TRD product portfolio.

TRD has been a long-standing customer of Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, using various AM technologies for prototyping. TRD will further use the company’s services to 3D print a clamp for the GR86, via the H350 3D printer powered by SAF technology and using sustainable Stratasys high-yield PA11 material.

“This new partnership represents a significant moment in the evolution of additive manufacturing for high-performance automotive racing applications,” Pat Carey, senior vice president, strategic partnerships for Stratasys, adds. “We will partner with TRD to support their efforts as they further adopt, prove out and integrate additive manufacturing into their production as a prototyping, tooling and end-use parts solution across the GR86 and TRD custom parts as well.”

TRD plans to continue to integrate AM into its manufacturing processes for TRD-branded vehicles and racing cars. The GR Cup, featuring the GR86, is set to begin in 2023.