Brake Duct Question

[Jeffsvilleusa]

Taken today's press conference:

...However, I think there is also a desire to look at areas of the car that have become ludicrously over-complicated. An example is used of the corners of the car. I think we have over 130 moulds for one brake duct now.

Does this mean the brake duct has 130 pieces that need to be molded separately to be configured into one brake duct, or they have 130 variations of brake duct that are tested to find the best one?

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Taken today's press conference:

...However, I think there is also a desire to look at areas of the car that have become ludicrously over-complicated. An example is used of the corners of the car. I think we have over 130 moulds for one brake duct now.

Does this mean the brake duct has 130 pieces that need to be molded separately to be configured into one brake duct, or they have 130 variations of brake duct that are tested to find the best one?

I believe it means they have 130 different moulds/configurations they could make up and run. The brake ducts are complicated, but I don't believe they're 130 piece complicated.

[bhallg2k]

I understand lamenting the complexity of F1, but it should be obvious by now that F1 is always going to be as complex as the rules will allow. In fact, I think certain areas - like brake ducts - are overemphasized because of restrictions everywhere else.

[The FOZ]

Here is the perfect application for RP technology - I know team(s) use products like Windform XT for brake ducts already. I don't follow Parr's rationale here...these are low volume parts, continuously being evolved...that they're using traditional tooling and composite tech instead of RP suggests they need to change, not the rules.

Unless this is a red herring for something else...

[polarboy]

In the "good" old days a brake duct would be fairly simple with an inner moulding that would generally fit into the centre of the upright and the outer duct bonded to it and would direct cool air straight onto the disc at the front of the upright
Now todays brake "duct" is a massive assembly that covers the entire disc,duct and upright as well as the actual "duct" part of the assembley with all that entails
Depending on the design you might have 30/40 parts going into 1 duct and each of these parts can be made with multiple part moulds so its very easy to get upto 130 parts
What you have to think of is as with aero the brake ducts are altered for certain races/tracks and also evolves through the year so that 130 could be up to 150/160 by the end of the year