Bugatti's 3D-Printed Titanium Brake Caliper Is A World First
Bugatti is a brand that seems to revel in breaking records, and not just of the speed variety. It’s awfully keen to point out things like the Chiron having the world’s longest light conductor and the biggest ever passenger car clutch, and now it’s fitting a new part to the car that achieves multiple feats all on its own.
It’s a snazzy new titanium brake caliper, which is the first ever produced via 3D printing. It’s also the biggest brake caliper used “in the automotive industry as a whole,” and is - Bugatti says - the “world’s largest titanium functional component produced by additive manufacturing.” Good luck remembering that one for when it might come up in a pub quiz.
The new caliper will replace the aluminium versions used for the Chiron, which are the outgoing biggest automotive industry brakes. The new titanium parts are 40 per cent lighter, yet even stronger.
Each caliper is made over a 45 hour period, during which time 2213 layers of titanium powder is deposited and melted with four frickin’ laser beams. The caliper is then be exposed to temperatures of up to 700 degrees during heat treatment, and finally machined over 11 hours in a “five-axis milling machine.”
So, if you ever find yourself wondering why Bugatti charges the prices it does, just remember the above as an example of the rather demanding way the VW-owned brand likes to do things…
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
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Damn, I really really want this, but
Perhaps
How many Hondas does this brake caliper cost?
U win🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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“Chrion” MattRobinson
Thanks, fixed!
Impressive it is, pretty it ain’t.
I have to disagree, it is beautiful
Why do you get downvoted? It’s an opinion.
I swear to GOD, if ANYONE attempts to post any of those Christian von Koenigsegg pics, I will become very angry
Sorry. I’ll just leave this place.
I know, they are getting old…
Just one thing I don’t understand is why 3D-printed stuff considered “better”? To me it’s like a cheaper method, isn’t it?
It would be more impressive if the calipers were, say, milled from a single piece of titanium, or were subject to extensive handcrafting
Not saying this is what they should’ve done or that 3D printing isn’t good enough, but for some reason my brain doesn’t see 3D printed stuff as better stuff
I’ve actually designed a piece to be made from AM Titanium.
For a start, it is much more expensive than milling from a single piece. As explained above, it’s not like a plastic 3D printer that can draw layers, its powdered titanium that is laser sintered into a single piece.
Still, the normal advantages of AM/3D printing are the same, you can create shapes that a mill cannot, you can make moving parts in a single object, and you can change the internal structure of the part.
This means that you can have a solid surface to the part, and then hollow out the inside, or fill it with a lattice pattern. It allows you to actually direct stress, vibrations or heat to where you want them to go inside what looks like a solid piece of metal. And because there is titanium missing on the inside of the part, it weighs far less too.
In summary, massively expensive, but allows for much greater control of shape, weight and physical properties.
Reported for p*rnography
The Lamborghini Urus had the record for bigger brakes right?
Disks not callipers
But I see you’ve watched the video on Lamborghini history that was posted
Guys l am a big bugatti fan boy i was massivly excited when they broke the 0-400-0 record.But i was equaly disapointed when the agera devasted bugatti s record ,at this point i believe that bugatti has really given up the cant compete with the venom f5 and with the regera they really have to up their game.Bugatti has become dated a slug next to the competision
I’d take a Chiron over the Agera and Venom F5 just for that interior. It offers similar performance, so that’s not a concern. Also it’s a VAG product so it should be more reliable than the other 2
What does that 0-400-0 figure actually tell you about the car? Not much, most buyers will never see speeds over 250 in that car. And why would it impede the Chiron’s competition with other similar vehicles? They are overly expensive cars for the filthy rich to flaunt and never use to potential, because using any of these vehicles to potential is simply impossible in the real world. First, most drivers don’t possess the skills, second all of these cars can leave you with a suspended driver’s permit in second gear, if not land you directly in prison.