From CAD to CAM
3D printing and CNC
According to the rules you have to use a CNC part supplied by the Denford CNC milling machine or you can get F1 in schools to supply it for you. We get our cars from the F1 in schools machines since we do not have a milling machine in school. However, CNC is not perfect it can leave material behind and un formed shapes. Therefore for parts like front and rear wings that are very detailed it would not be ideal to have them made with CNC. Therefore we outsource again our part to a sponsor, Winnerssofftware. Yes, the same people who have made this website possible. And as the picture below demonstrates you can achieve the highly detailed shapes and edges we need to satisfy our design.
Out soucing is never amazing since you cannot make it on the spot. A lot of time has to go into sending files, making sure they are the right one. Waiting for it to be printed, since the parties involve also live lives therefore we could be waiting a few days. You also have to give enough time to prepare for any breakdowns of machines. And then sending the finished product back. F1 in schools uses post. However the 3D printed parts are sent directly to us.
With COVID-19 further arrangements have to be made.
But nothing beats the thrill of seeing a finished part in the flesh.
Finishing
Luckily we do have machines in school for cutting. However with COVID-19 this has been difficult. We have had to delve deep into the void which is our sheds to snatch tools and equipment suitable for the task. The CNC block is easier since it is foam and therefore can be carved much more effectively.
Again we had to ask for a person with skill to finish the 3D printed models. Last year getting these we did not have the right tools and our surfaces were uneven and had plenty of imperfections, however this year it is not the case.
