The 3D printing arrives to the pistons of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS

The large-scale arrival of 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, has meant a true revolution in numerous industrial sectors, since it allows the production of very simple parts or components. An example of this is that 3D printing was a great ally in creating safety visors during the critical stage of the pandemic in Europe, or even for manufacturing designs so intricate that they would be very difficult or impossible to make using traditional methods.

In the automotive industry, 3D printing has become a great ally, and many brands turn to it, especially when it comes to bringing to life those prototypes that often surprise us with their shapes and lines, but also in other areas such as creating parts for the restoration of classic vehicles. An example of the latter is Porsche, whose Porsche Classic division has around 20 parts intended for its classic models, replacement parts in plastic, steel or alloy that are already discontinued, such as the lever that releases the clutch on the Porsche 959.

But Porsche is not the only one benefiting from the advantages of additive manufacturing, since, alongside prototypes, this technology is very interesting from a technical and economic standpoint for its limited-series special cars as well as for competition, as it allows Porsche customers to fit their vehicles with fully personalised parts that also give them a unique touch. Another example for this section is that, since May, a seat shaped to the body, which can be fitted to the 911 and 718 models, manufactured by 3D printing, has been available.

Now Porsche goes a step further in using 3D printing, with which it has designed and created the new pistons for the 911 GT2 RS, made from high-purity metal powder using a laser metal fusion (LMF) process, meaning a laser beam heats and melts the surface of the powder following the contour of the part, and once created, it undergoes a quality and performance capability process that has been validated using Zeiss measurement technology.

Is it really worth entrusting such a critical element as pistons to 3D printing? Well, at Porsche they have it very clear, since these pistons feature an improved structure that has been optimised for the loads they bear, and let us remember that the Porsche 911 GT2 RS is a true track beast that generates 700 CV of power and 750 Nm of torque. Due to their design, they now feature an integrated and closed cooling channel located in the crown of the piston, which could not have been made conventionally, as well as being 10% lighter than forged ones and allowing a power increase of 30 CV while improving efficiency.

Technical specifications of this car

CoupePorsche 91119 versions · from 157,835 €