McLaren Racing accelerates F1 with optimal materials use

Material lifecycle management is moving to the centre of McLaren Racing’s workflow.

e-Xstream engineering, part of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, has been selected by McLaren Racing to provide materials data management for its Formula 1 cars.

All F1 teams makes extensive use of advanced materials to squeeze optimal performance and handling from race cars. McLaren has chosen the MaterialCenter materials lifecycle management system to help its engineering team make optimal design decisions for their vehicles quickly and efficiently, with full knowledge of the performance and cost implications at every step.

MaterialCenter captures data from material testing and the many tools and processes the team employs to ensure full traceability throughout each component’s lifecycle.

Richard Jenkins, Materials Group Leader for McLaren Racing, explains,’Designing and building a Formula 1 race car is one of the greatest engineering challenges imaginable. It takes all of the individual engineering pressures – time, budget, weight, performance – and hyper focuses them into one package.’

The intention is to manage the complete materials workflow as the single point of entry for all materials-related activities and use a consistent source of approved materials derived from traceable integrated processes, resulting in reduced data loss and the elimination of unnecessary and time-consuming manual data management tasks.

Hexagon provides sensor, software and autonomous solutions and e-Xstream engineering, provides Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) solutions to innovate and optimise product performance using materials and manufacturing processes.

McLaren Racing was founded by New Zealand racing driver Bruce McLaren in 1963, it competes in Formula 1 globally and INDYCAR in the US. In 2022, McLaren Racing will enter a new category of motorsport when it enters a team into Extreme E, the innovative all-electric off-road racing series.