Home Applications & Case Studies 3D printing at USC Racing: Titanium exhaust collector manufactured using the NeuBeam...

3D printing at USC Racing: Titanium exhaust collector manufactured using the NeuBeam process

Picture: Wayland Additive

Additive manufacturing has long since established itself in motorsport beyond prototype construction. The Formula SAE team from the University of Southern California (USC Racing) is now going one step further: in collaboration with the British manufacturer Wayland Additive, an exhaust collector made of titanium has been produced for the 2025 racing car – manufactured using the NeuBeam process on a Calibur3 system.

The exhaust collector is a critical component that combines the exhaust gas flow from the individual cylinders and therefore has a significant influence on engine performance. In conventional production, this means nine thin-walled titanium tubes, individually shaped, adjusted by hand, welded and susceptible to manufacturing tolerances.

Samuel McCarthy, a student at the University of Southern California (USC) and Suspension Lead for USC Racing – Formula SAE Team, said: “The exhaust collector is the part that joins each cylinder’s exhaust into one stream and it directly affects engine efficiency and performance. Physically it is a complex part with a series of connected tubes. There are usually two critical design considerations: performance versus manufacturing difficulty. Optimal performance requires optimized angles of the tubes where the exhaust flow meets, a certain initial contact of flow. Manufacturing the ideal exhaust collector with these preferred angles is generally not possible with traditional methods, such as welding, and there is always a trade-off between the two. By using AM, specifically Wayland’s NeuBeam process, we have been able to minimise the trade-off and get the best of both worlds.”

NeuBeam is a powder-based electron beam process with controlled energy input that, in contrast to DMLS, generates lower thermal stresses. This is relevant for titanium components that are subject to vibration and temperature changes. Wayland Additive also emphasizes the advantages in post-processing: due to the lack of sintering crusts, the component can be removed directly after the printing process and cleaned with minimal effort.

McCarthy said: “The part would consist of 9 custom coped tubes, which means that they need to be cut by hand following complex contours, with compromises on the angles. In addition, five of the nine needed to be stretched to size. Getting all nine to fit together with minimal gaps takes many, many hours by a highly skilled fabricator, and even then, there is still margin for error.

Because traditionally manufactured collectors are welded and made from tubes which must be cut very precisely at difficult angles it compounds available space problems: the tighter the packaging requirement the more difficult it is to make. The Wayland produced part reduced the length of our exhaust collector by 50%. And this is a really big deal.”

Additive manufacturing also enabled a more compact design. According to McCarthy, the overall length of the exhaust collector could be reduced by 50 percent – an advantage that is crucial when installation space in the racing car is limited. Conventional post-processing steps such as drilling and milling were nevertheless necessary for the final geometry, supported by specially integrated holding features in the pressure part.

McCarthy said: “The ability to produce a complex part of this nature in Titanium together with the low thermal stresses was fundamental for our application. The heat cycles seen and high vibratory environment could fracture a DMLS part. Also, the small hook retaining feature would have proven too difficult to descale.”

Keegan Duarte, Commercial Applications Engineer at Wayland Additive, took the lead on this project at the company’s HQ in Huddersfield. He commented: “Wayland’s Commercial Team worked closely with Sam and the USC Racing team to fully understand their technical and performance requirements. We collaborated through multiple design iterations to balance manufacturability with optimal part performance. NeuBeam’s low residual stress and minimal post-processing were key advantages for this demanding application. Being able to quickly turn around parts on the Calibur3 made a real difference under tight timelines. The collaboration demonstrated how Wayland’s technology can directly address and overcome practical manufacturing constraints. We hope to keep working with the USC team — wishing them the best of luck in their future races!”

After completion, the component was tested under realistic conditions: In several simulations as well as the actual competition in May 2025, it impressed in terms of function and durability. The USC team achieved 3rd place in autocross, among other things – an indication that additively manufactured functional parts can also hold their own in tough racing conditions.

McCarthy explained: “Some machining was required. The bore was machined to allow a sealing fit for each exhaust tube to be pressed into and a flange was machined to match a V-band, an industry standard exhaust quick disconnect.

The main challenge in machining any complex part is indicating and holding. A feature was included on the printed part to assist in indication. And a custom clamp was made to hold the part while machining, a standard practice.”


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