Challenge

In competitive motorsports, every gram matters, especially in unsprung mass elements like wheel carriers, which directly influence handling, acceleration and vehicle dynamics. Traditional manufacturing approaches such as CNC machining limit design flexibility and result in heavier components that constrain performance. The Delta Racing Team of Mannheim University of Applied Sciences sought a technologically advanced solution to:

• Reduce wheel carrier weight, traditionally constrained by machining limits.
• Maintain or improve mechanical strength and load-bearing performance under dynamic racing conditions.
• Leverage advanced structural optimization to achieve both lightweight design and reliability.
• Accelerate iteration cycles while ensuring compliant and repeatable manufacturing quality.

Solution

OTS’s technology partner supported the Delta Racing Team in developing a topology-optimized wheel carrier manufactured through metal 3D printing to deliver unprecedented performance improvements. 

Engineering & Design Optimization

• Engineers applied topology optimization and finite element analysis (FEA) to identify areas of high and low load within the wheel carrier structure.
• Optimization goals focused on maximizing strength while minimizing material use, allowing a design that traditional machining could not achieve.
• Multiple load cases: including impact, braking, cornering and suspension forces — were simulated to ensure safe, race-ready performance.

Additive Manufacturing Workflow

• A prototype was first 3D printed in PLA to validate fit, form, and stakeholder alignment before final metal production.
• Final wheel carriers were produced in aluminum alloy.
• After printing, the parts and build platform underwent vacuum annealing to relieve internal stresses.
• Support structures were removed via wire EDM, followed by surface sandblasting, CNC machining of functional surfaces, and quality inspection to ensure dimensional tolerances and mechanical integrity.

Benefits

The transition to a 3D-printed, topology-optimized wheel carrier delivered multiple engineering and performance benefits:

➤ Dramatic Weight Reduction

• The AM wheel carriers achieved over 50% weight savings compared to the previous CNCmilled version, weighing approximately 550 g per unit.
• This reduction in unsprung mass significantly improves handling agility and surface-response dynamics during racing.

➤ Enhanced Design Freedom

• Additive manufacturing unlocked complex, organic geometries (often called bionic design) that traditional machining cannot produce safely or economically.
• The optimized design maintains critical strength while minimizing material usage.

➤ Performance & Driving Dynamics

• Lower unsprung weight directly improves mechanical grip, cornering responsiveness and overall acceleration; all critical factors in competitive Formula Student racing.
• Increased structural efficiency contributes to better force transmission from suspension to tire contact patch.

➤ Streamlined Development Cycle

• Digital workflows from design through AM and post-processing reduced iteration time and enabled rapid validation of new designs.

Results

By implementing additive manufacturing, the racing team achieved:

• A 50+% reduction in wheel carrier weight compared to conventional machined parts.
• A component optimized for real-world racing loads, validated through simulation and physical post-processing.
• Significant improvements in vehicle agility due to reduced unsprung mass, enhancing competitive performance in the Formula Student Electric series.

This collaboration demonstrates how additive manufacturing solutions can transform traditional engineering challenges; enabling lightweight, high-performance parts for demanding automotive and motorsport applications.