Watch Bugatti’s 3D printed brake caliper setting the brake discs on fire



Earlier in the year, Bugatti embarked on a journey to produce the world’s first 3D printed titanium brake caliper that is not only stronger but also up to 40 per cent lighter than an aluminium equivalent component.

After 12 months in development, the company is now testing their lightweight caliper to the extreme, achieving ground speeds of over 373 km/h and brake disc temperature of over 1,000°C. Needless to say, the titanium component held itself despite grinding the discs to a fiery spark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPkY8nBWxoU

Titanium alloy with the scientific designation Ti6AI4V is mainly used in the aerospace industry particularly for high-stress undercarriage and wing components in aircrafts and rocket engines. Thanks to advancements in 3D printing technology, Bugatti was able to print a titanium brake caliper measuring 41 cm long, 21 cm wide and 13.6 cm high but weighs only 2.9 kg per caliper while an aluminium component would weigh 4.8 kgs.

It takes a total of 2,213 layers and 45 hours to complete a single brake calliper and it has a tensile strength of 1,250 N/mm2 which means the titanium alloy can withstand 125 kg of force applied to a square millimetre before rupturing.

In the never-ending race for outright horsepower, it would seem that Bugatti is shifting its focus into making its cars lighter to achieve a better balance of power-to-weight ratio. This titanium brake caliper is one of the many measures to shave some precious kilograms from the almost two tonne Chiron.


IMAGE GALLERY

Bugatti 3D Printed Titanium Brake Caliper Test