F1 Team Adds Quintus HIP Technology

Alfa Romeo Racing selected Quintus Technologies as a technology partner and supplier of a new hot-isostatic press installation, gaining secure access to optimized additive-manufactured parts with short turnaround time. The new press will be installed at Sauber Motorsport AG, Hinwil, Switzerland, which operates the Alfa Romeo Racing Formula 1 team.

The Sauber Group consists of Sauber Motorsport AG; Sauber Engineering AG, which focuses on prototype development and additive manufacturing; and Sauber Aerodynamik AG, which conducts full- and model-scale testing.

The QIH 21 M URQ^® will have a hot work zone of 211 mm (8.3 in.) diameter and 400 mm (15.7 in.) height; an operating temperature of 2,552°F (1,400°C); and pressure of 2,070 bar (30,000 psi.)

and Alfa Romeo Racing will be working alongside Quintus to get the most out this equipment, in a joint effort to improve material performance.

The proprietary Quintus URQ^® technology allows heat treatment and cooling to be combined in a single process, called High Pressure Heat Treatment. HPHT and HIP are used to consolidate and densify metal, "producing a maximum theoretical density, ductility, and fatigue resistance in high-performance materials."

In addition to the equipment and installation, Alfa Romeo Racing is adopted the Quintus^® Care service, which ensures safe operation and optimal functionality at a fixed annual cost, with access to technical expertise as required. This will allow Quintus and Alfa Romeo Racing teams to work together and share knowledge and expertise.

“The partnership with Quintus is an important milestone on Sauber Engineering’s additive manufacturing journey. The implementation of the hot-isostatic pressing process adds massive value in bringing performance to our car as well as for the demanding needs of our customers. By using Quintus’s HIP technology, the Sauber Group will be able to push the boundaries of what we do even further and bring the materials we produce to an outstanding level,” stated Christoph Hansen, head of technical development, Sauber Engineering AG.