Background
Formula Student is an international motorsport competition that challenges university teams to design, build, and race high-performance, single-seat electric vehicles. These all-wheel-drive, carbon-fiber monocoque race cars are designed and built by students—testing the limits of engineering, teamwork, and innovation.
One standout participant is MunicHMotorsport, the Formula Student team from Hochschule München (Munich University of Applied Sciences). To stay ahead in a highly competitive environment, the team has embraced additive manufacturing (AM) using the Sinterit Lisa PRO, a compact SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) 3D printer. The result? More than 100 custom 3D printed parts in their current race car, the PWeX.20.
The Challenge: Balancing Innovation with Budget Constraints
MunicHMotorsport is composed entirely of student volunteers, divided into specialized sub-teams: Chassis, Aerodynamics, Suspension, Electronics, and more. Each group focuses on different vehicle systems—but integrating those systems presents real design challenges.
In addition, the team operates on tight budgets funded by sponsorships and donations. When sponsorship isn’t available, they must carefully weigh the cost of buying off-the-shelf components against building customized parts using limited in-house resources.
The Solution: Sinterit Lisa PRO for Affordable, Flexible Prototyping
By incorporating SLS 3D printing into their workflow, the team found a powerful solution for rapid prototyping and part production. The Sinterit Lisa PRO provides industrial-grade performance at a price accessible to educational institutions—offering:
- Design flexibility to meet interdisciplinary requirements
- Near-isotropic mechanical properties, ideal for load-bearing or functional parts
- In-house production, reducing reliance on costly outsourced machining
A key example is a custom cable gland, which required input from multiple sub-teams. The resulting 3D printed part successfully met the design and functional needs of the Chassis, Suspension, and Electrical teams—all in one integrated component.
Benefits Realized
Over 100 3D Printed Parts in One Car
From brackets and mounts to enclosures and ducts, 3D printing has become integral to the car’s construction.
Cost Reduction
Printing parts in-house minimizes external machining costs and allows experimentation without financial risk.
Weight and Part Count Reduction
Using SLS technology, the team was able to consolidate multiple components into single printed parts, improving reliability and lowering overall weight—critical for performance.
Faster Development Cycles
Rapid iteration empowers the team to test, revise, and deploy designs quickly during the competitive build season.
Conclusion: Additive Manufacturing Driving Student Innovation
The success of the MunicHMotorsport team showcases how additive manufacturing—enabled by compact yet powerful systems like the Sinterit Lisa PRO—can revolutionize vehicle development even in resource-constrained environments. What began as a cost-saving measure has become a strategic advantage.
As the number of printed components continues to grow year after year, so does the team’s ability to push the boundaries of student engineering and compete at the highest levels of Formula Student racing.
