Fabricators and Manufacturers Association reposted this
Two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato drove No. 75, from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL), at the iconic race held the Sunday before Memorial Day, a weekend when the sheet metal industry gained some significant exposure. AMADA AMERICA, INC. was his car’s primary sponsor. A century ago, race cars with sheet metal bodies raced around the track’s original surface, paved with bricks, hence “The Brickyard” moniker. Today, just a narrow strip of bricks remains at the finish line, and carbon fiber has largely replaced sheet metal on the cars. But as Raymond Seach, a mechanic at RLL who manages the CNC shop, explained, some critical sheet metal parts do remain. “IndyCar is a spec series,” Seach told Senior Editor Tim Heston, who was on hand for the Indy 500, “so there’s a recipe we follow. But we are able to modify certain components, to make them our own.” For example, Seach fabricated a new heel rest made of 0.040-in.-thick 6061-T4 aluminum, a temper that gave enough strength and yet still could be formed accurately and without cracking. “The heel rest goes in front of the wheel,” Seach added, “and that’s the last place you want excess weight.” Read the article: https://lnkd.in/gEbefqz8 #metalfabrication #indycar #motorsports #indianapolis500 #fabrication #sheetmetal #metalforming #amada