Bugatti’s new eight-piston Monobloc brake calliper is the world’s first brake calliper to be produced by a 3-D printer and it is also the largest titanium functional component ever produced.
While Bugatti uses the most powerful brakes in the world on the new Chiron, the titanium callipers are a whole new ballgame. The new calliper will be stronger than ever and weigh around 40% less than their previous aluminium counterparts. A total of eight titanium pistons will sit at the front and six on the rear.
Bugatti sent the concept and calculations to Laser Zentrum Nord who printed it in a total of 45 hours. The calliper is made from 2, 213 layers of titanium powder which are melted by 400-watt lasers into the desired shape. To strengthen it further, the calliper is exposed to a furnace of 700 degrees, falling to 100 degrees over time to eliminate residual stress and ensure dimensional stability. In the next stage, it goes through a mechanical, physical and chemical process to dramatically improve its fatigue strength and then, finally, the functional surfaces are machined in a five-axis milling machine. The end result is a delicately shaped component with wall thicknesses between a minimum of 1mm to a maximum of 4 mm. The calliper is being tested in production vehicles in the first half of 2018.
As reported by Bugatti, “ Everyone who looks at the part is surprised at how light it is – despite its large size. Technically, this is an extremely impressive brake calliper, and it also looks great.”
Photo source: Bugatti.com
01 Feb