Today, and especially after the divorce between KTM and Johann Zarco, it seems fashionable to denigrate the Austrian firm, especially since the results remain mixed for the moment despite the few exploits of Pol Espargaró.
The purpose of this article, however, is not to defend the men in orange but simply to put things in context and, with “Spy Attitude” to back it up, to note that we are very far from remaining inactive in Mattighofen . Finally, the RC16 could well end up surprising us… For the better!
Today, KTM is therefore aligned with its 4° V90 engine set in Big Bang with reverse direction of rotation, just like Ducati and Honda, all powered by an air intake directly into the air box.
Let us now approach, through the tape, the last part of this triptych revealing the advanced technological research currently carried out by KTM…
We were able to see that KTM, like its opponents, used 3D printing to make its fins. Or, more precisely, that KTM made its fins in 3D printing then, once they had been validated in the race, had them made in carbon.
The advantages are known: you have an idea, you model it in 3D software and then the 3D printer takes care of creating it after a few hours. Once the shape has been validated by the wind tunnel and the pilots, it can then be manufactured in carbon. This last process is much longer (fabrication of the molds, manual installation of the pre-impregnated carbon then vacuum autoclave) but the finished part is much lighter.
In the following two photos, we can first of all distinguish the "layer by layer" process of the fins made in 3D printing on one of the Tech3 team's motorcycles (effect amplified by the photo), to compare with a fin made in carbon, with a much better finish, on another RC16 from the French team.
Now it seems that today, KTM has not only put its finger into 3D printing, but also its hand, and undoubtedly soon the entire arm...
Let's look at this photo of part of the RC16 frame:
A priori, nothing extraordinary…. except that “the welds are not in the right place” !
At this point in this article, you have the legitimate right to say “the author is crazy, let’s move on”...
Otherwise, let's take a better look at the part concerned: we have here a simple “connection” between 3 tubes.
Normally, the two bottom tubes are welded to the oblique one.
There, no, there is no visible welding.
On the other hand, the oblique tube, otherwise slightly curved, is well welded to what goes (on the left) towards the steering column and, to the right, to the plate (machined, cast?) which holds the saddle, the swingarm and its suspension as well as the rear of the engine (the front of the motorcycle is on the left)…
There is only one possible explanation for this: the “three-tube connector” is a one-piece piece that actually connects four tubes.
To manufacture it (in steel), KTM had the choice between foundry and 3D printing, but only the latter technique combines the advantages. We can therefore easily guess what technique was used, especially since what we were able to observe (without however having time to take a photo) leaves little room for doubt (small reinforcements connecting the tubes, forming an integral part of assembly)…
The KTM frame therefore now seems partially made in 3D printing, which already offers two main advantages in our eyes:
- – The consistency of the different rigidities (we remember the problems encountered by Ducati with its welded tubular frames, not always reacting exactly the same due to manual welding),
- – The possibility of varying the rigidities much more easily and at lower cost than with an aluminum frame (you do not have to machine a block of 50 kilos of aluminum to obtain a new spar, the printer does the job in a few hours).
Obviously, the next step will make it possible to no longer strictly confine ourselves to tubular shapes, but rather to follow the lines of force determined by CAD software, which could/will give a much more organic appearance to the chassis than what we do. 'have never seen to date.
In this regard, the 3D printed caliper presented by Bugatti is sufficiently telling…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPkY8nBWxoU
We dream ? Without being so extreme, the latest chassis tested by Dani Pedrosa in Valencia and Aragón, however, seem to follow this approach…
The 2020 prototype will run in Valencia during the test following the Grand Prix. Our goals too…
