Expansion Tank

Client’s problem

Developing a race car is a constant balance between engineering and constraints: budget, timelines, and available technologies. Many solutions here are tested not in theory, but immediately in real conditions.

For the cooling system, the team needed an expansion tank — a part that must operate reliably under pressure, withstand temperature loads, vibrations, and contact with coolant.

The first solution was obvious: to print the part using FDM. However, in operation it did not withstand the conditions — the tank turned out to be insufficiently strong and lost its tightness. Using such a part in the race car became risky.

Solution

After that, the team started looking for a technology that would deliver a predictable and stable result, not “whatever works”.

That’s how they turned to Makerly. An important factor was the ability to discuss the task directly — to review operating conditions, part requirements, and possible limitations.

The client provided a ready 3D model, and as a solution we proposed production on an industrial HP Jet Fusion system using PA12 material.
Unlike FDM, this technology forms a part with a uniform structure throughout the entire volume, without weak zones between layers. This ensures tightness and stable mechanical properties — critical parameters for cooling system components.

Result

The tank was manufactured in 5 working days and immediately put into operation.

The team received not a prototype, but a working part ready for use in real conditions. At the same time, it was possible to eliminate casting, reduce production time, and avoid tooling costs.

In this project, 3D printing became not an experiment, but a working tool that solved a specific engineering task.