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Vistagy Inc, a leading provider of industry-specific engineering software and services, announced that the ING Renault F1 Team was able to reduce the time it took to design and manufacture a composite diffuser for its R29 race car. The team managed to cut design time from 12 weeks to six weeks using FiberSIM composites software. As a result, the ING Renault Team was able to get the new diffuser on the track two races sooner than would have been possible without FiberSIM, dramatically enhancing its race competitiveness.
The so-called ‘double diffuser’was used to great effect by the Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams teams in the first two rounds of the 2009 Formula One season. However, ambiguity in the regulations meant many teams felt the double diffuser was not permissible under the 2009 regulations. Renault F1 was one of four teams to appeal its use, an appeal that was denied by the governing Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). Like many other teams, Renault F1 Team had been working on its own version of the large ‘double diffuser‘ floor, which smoothly channels air under and out of the back of the car, increasing downforce, lateral grip and overall performance. Once the FIA issued the ruling allowing the use of the new diffuser, FiberSIM helped the Renault F1 Team implement it quickly. For the last seven seasons, the ING Renault F1 Team has used FiberSIM to design and manufacture all composite parts, including the chassis, gearbox, floor, side pods and wing main planes. The team reported time-savings of 20–30 percent for the gearbox on the R29, but the 50-percent reduction in time taken to design and manufacture the diffuser—comprising over 100 plies of carbon fibre—set a new standard the development of composite parts for the ING Renault F1 Team. |
