A CLASS APART

Vericut provides safe and optimized machining operations for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team

The machine shop of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team relies on VERICUT verification, simulation, and optimization software from CGTech to guarantee the successful machining of its many high-complexity, high-value components. A VERICUT user for over two decades, the team has engrained VERICUT into its Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), aware of the benefits it provides in reducing machine collisions and component scrap, while simultaneously optimizing lead time.

Today, the Machine Shop at the Team headquarters in Brackley, Northamptonshire, not only manufactures parts for the race cars, but also for several customer programs, including other Formula One Teams and the INEOS Britannia Americas Cup sailing Team.

“We are pretty diverse with our component supply, but in all cases reaction time is key: for our race car we sometimes only have 24 hours from design release to delivery,” reveals Machine Shop Manager Robert Brown. “VERICUT really helps as it gives us the confidence to start the machine running safely, enabling us to switch our focus onto another activity, such as writing programs or setting up tools for the next part. This is far preferable to requiring the presence of an operator at the machine, monitoring the cutting process to mitigate the risk of a collision.”

Formula One Teams have been operating within a cost cap for the past couple of years, imposed by the FIA, the sport’s governing body, so the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team cannot afford to be non-productive.