3D PRINTING

3D PRINTING

Motor casing

The casing of the electric motor of the Energica motorcycles houses the rotor, the stator and the transmission speed reducer. In developing this component, the first step was the creation of a functional prototype, made of Windform® LX (Windform® LX 3.0 is the last release of the material). This composite base material is polyamide, which is reinforced with fiberglass designed and developed by CRP Technology. The process is by SLS 3D printing type - here is available the description. Material important properties include electrical insulation and thermal resistance.
Energica mounted the prototype directly on the bike, allowing fully identification of potential assembly problems. The technicians were able to assess if the component could be easily assembled and disassembled, if it was accessible once it was installed on the motorcycle and if special tools were needed to fix and remove it.

This approach allowed Energica to validate the design of the component without the high costs of a prototype made with traditional techniques. The piece was designed, printed, mounted on the bike, the possible improvements were highlighted, the design was modified and the piece was reprinted in an extremely faster and cheaper cycle than would have been necessary with traditional techniques. Once the design was approved, the engine housing was definitively made of aluminum alloy.