New technologies in laser scanning have resulted in the creation of a completely new protective seat fabrication process for Indy Racing League (IRL) cars.  IRL drivers are required to be surrounded by cocoon-like seats designed to protect them during crashes at speeds in excess of 220 mph. The seats are constructed out of beaded foam that helps to absorb the gravitational forces that would typically impact the driver, causing injury.  In the past, the driver would sit on top of a bag filled with Expanded Polystyrene beads and resin to leave an exact imprint of their most comfortable driving position.  Serving as a human mold, the driver would have to remain still for more than an hour until the seat had cured. It is important to have each driver provide the mold for their own custom seat design since the quality of the fit improves the seat’s protective abilities during a crash.  Every time a car is involved in an accident or a driver switches to a different car, a new seat must be created.
  

  
Laser scanning simplified the seat fabrication process.  Using computer-aided design (CAD) software, a 3D virtual reality blueprint of each custom race seat was made that perfectly fits a driver upon repeated fabrication. Laser scanning the initial foam bead seat model prior to its installation into the racecar creates this blueprint.  GKS Inspection Services’ service bureau provided the required high levels of scanning accuracy and the fast turnaround demanded by the racing industry.  Replacement seats were then cut using computerized CNC machinery without having to involve the driver.

“The new process allows us to produce better seats because drivers can obtain duplicates of a seat that fits them perfectly. Before they took the chance that the results of a new seat-fitting process could leave them with a less comfortable seat that would ultimately hurt their performance,” said the Business Manager for the seat manufacturer. “Additionally, the new CNC and laser scanning technologies allow us to create seats that provide greater impact resistance because they can be constructed out of new materials that are more compatible with the new molding process.”

The fabricator now uses a portable laser scanner to create a CAD file that duplicates the seat’s shape. If the driver already has a seat that he likes, then a fitting is not required. Instead, the seat can be sent to the service bureau for scanning to produce a highly accurate CAD file. The CAD file is used to create a CNC program for a machining center that will carve the seat out of a single block of multiple impact foam.  Using a machine center to carve out the seat makes it possible to use new materials that are rated better for multiple impacts. These new foams provide greater impact resistance and eliminate the need for replacement after minor impacts.

The project began when one of the drivers in the Indy 500 asked to provide a duplicate of his current seat.  He made the request during race qualification and could only spare the current seat during a two-day window between his completion of qualifying and the day of the final practice.  The day the driver finished qualifying, the seat was flown to GKS Inspection Services in Minneapolis. GKS Inspection Services scanned the seat the next day, returning the seat to the driver in plenty of time for the race. GKS Inspection Services spent that day converting the scanner-generated point cloud into a surface model and then sent it back by the end of the day via email.

 

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