The Garage Shop Uses Triton3D Ultem 1010 to Push Motorsports Innovation
Company: The Garage Shop
Industry: Automotive and Motorsports
Website: https://www.thegarageshop200.com/
Introduction:
When pushing boundaries with custom-engineered solutions in the automotive landscape, sometimes the cutting-edge tools and materials required aren’t immediately available. For The Garage Shop, pioneering the integration of advanced 3D printing technology in motorsports engineering meant there was a risk of waiting for technology to catch up. Enter Triton3D’s Ultem 1010, a material advanced enough to keep up with the speed records The Garage Shop is breaking.
The Story of The Garage Shop:
Founded in 2011 by NASCAR veteran Aaron Brown, The Garage Shop is a premier race car fabrication and engineering powerhouse in Denver, North Carolina. With nearly three decades of experience in the NASCAR industry, Aaron established the company to honor the art of racing while breaking records and rewriting engineering norms. The Garage Shop specializes in custom-built race cars, high-performance restorations, and cutting-edge 3D printing and scanning services. By blending motorsports heritage with advanced technology, the team has built a reputation for creating projects that not only honor racing history but set new standards for speed and innovation.
The Garage Shop team is no stranger to challenges. When restoring classic cars well past their former glory, like their 235+ mph ’65 Chevrolet Corvette, it’s common to run into obsolete parts no longer in production and complex geometries incredibly difficult to achieve through traditional fabrication. Additionally, not only do their cars need to go fast, but so does their production. Expensive custom tooling and time-consuming fabrication are projects that The Garage Shop team doesn’t want to slow them down. These are some of the many reasons 3D printing and 3D scanning have become critical tools in their shop.
One of those critical tools is their Fortus 450. This 3D printer fits seamlessly in their workflow, allowing The Garage Shop to produce custom, complex parts entirely in-house. This accelerates the design process, enabling rapid testing and refinement that saves them valuable time. They tailor each 3D-printed component to maximize performance and reliability, meaning they need a material that is equally performance-oriented and reliable.
Finding the right material to match their high-performance needs proved to be a challenge. The extreme conditions of land-speed racing demand parts that can withstand intense heat, high-speed vibrations, and constant mechanical stress. These performance requirements ruled out the more common, budget-friendly 3D printing materials. In addition, saving weight without sacrificing durability is crucial for pushing the limits within the industry of motorsports. The Garage Shop decided that Ultem 1010 would be their best option, but running OEM material through their Fortus 450 would rack up a substantial price tag. That’s when they discovered Triton3D’s Ultem 1010.
Why The Garage Shop Chose Triton3D:
Triton3D’s Ultem 1010 was The Garage Shop’s much-needed solution for durable, high-performance 3D-printed parts. In the extreme conditions of motorsports, where cars experience intense vibrations, high speeds, extreme temperatures, and thermal stress, material failure isn’t an option. With a tensile strength of 56 MPa and a flexural strength of 111 MPa, Triton3D’s Ultem 1010 provides the performance needed for critical components. Boasting a glass transition temperature of 217°C, this material allows for parts that can withstand extreme engine heat in addition to the heat of the Bonneville Salt Flats. This durability gives The Garage Shop confidence that aerodynamic forces combined with heat won’t warp parts or make them lose their strength.
Beyond durability, weight saving is a constant priority within the automotive industry. Triton3D’s Ultem 1010 enables The Garage Shop to replace certain metal components with strong, lightweight 3D-printed parts. This allows them to balance out their vehicles, like their upcoming streamliner project, for optimal performance without sacrificing strength. On top of that, 3D printing’s ability to create complex, optimized geometries also means The Garage Shop can design parts that are lighter than their traditionally manufactured counterparts.
Cost savings is one of the most important factors in The Garage Shop’s decision to switch to Triton3D. OEM Ultem 1010 filament for their Fortus 450 comes at a steep price, counteracting what they save by avoiding traditional tooling and fabrication. Triton3D’s formulation, made from the same high-performance ULTEM™ 1010 PEI resin as OEM filament, delivers the same level of quality and compatibility at a fraction of the cost. With Triton3D’s replacement chips ensuring seamless use with their Stratasys printer, The Garage Shop can continue producing high-strength, heat-resistant parts while drastically reducing project costs. This affordability allows the team at The Garage Shop to put that money into improving their designs and continuously revolutionize the motorsports landscape.
Results:
Triton3D’s Ultem 1010 is helping The Garage Shop break speed records, without breaking the bank. The seamless integration of Triton3D’s high-performance filament into their existing Fortus 450 workflow allows them to create durable, lightweight, and cost-effective components for their unparalleled builds. Looking ahead, The Garage Shop is setting its sights on an even greater challenge. They are leveraging award-winning 3D printing and design expertise to develop what might just be the world's most advanced streamliner with the goal of surpassing 500 mph. This would make it the world’s fastest piston-driven car, so keep The Garage shop on your radar in the future.
If your shop relies on a Stratasys printer, explore our Triton3D collection to see how you can start saving money on material: Triton 3D Stratasys Compatible Materials
