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Old 07-02-2019, 03:10 PM   #1
KillerBMotorsport
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Hey Nasioc land, KillerB is looking for feedback on a new product line. We have 3D printed some select products in an effort to reduce their weight, and price. All of these products lend themselves well to the 3D printing process. The plastic used is an automotive grade nylon.

The first product that I am going to release for preview is the "Black Series AOS". Same performance; lower price point.







Any feedback would be appreciated.
How do you feel about the part being plastic?

How does it look?

This part is intended for the enthusiast and the original part made from aluminum is intended for pro / race use. Is this two tiered system consistent with your impression of our brand?

Thanks in advance for all of your thoughts,
"The Dude"
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Old 07-02-2019, 03:32 PM   #2
Marvick08GT
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Lots of parts are plastic! Looks great to be honest, loving the Oem look. Looking to do something like this, Legacy fitment as well? Thanks!!
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Old 07-02-2019, 06:39 PM   #3
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Like it. Now just to see if it falls in the “impulse buy” pricing territory
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Old 07-03-2019, 09:02 AM   #4
KillerBMotorsport
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Here is the Upper Turbo Coolant Reservoir

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Old 07-03-2019, 10:07 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KillerBMotorsport View Post
How do you feel about the part being plastic?

How does it look?
Nylon is a proven plastic in automotive applications but of course and 3D printer part has some different properties than traditional manufacturing methods like injection molding. Looking at the surface finish and fine details I'm guessing this is printed on an SLS machine such as the Stratasys Fortus line. Afaik there is no option for glass or carbon fiber impregnated nylon with SLS machines. Would you mind sharing some information on the machine and material used?

These parts look really good, and I'd imagine would be a very popular conversation piece. Have you needed to do any secondary processes to these other than removing excess material?

There are two major concerns with 3D printed nylon, first is that any 3D printed part is porous solely due to the natur of 3D printing. Are any of these components under pressure or vacuum? What have you done to make these airtight?

The second concern about 3D printed nylon is that it is extremely hygroscopic (it absorbs liquid). While this generally has no impact on the performance and durability of the parts it will cause discoloration as it absorbs liquids contained in it. I assume this is one of the reasons these parts are made of a black died nylon. How much long term testing have you done on these products, specifically the catch can, and has there been any sign of it emitting an odor as is absorbs oil and fuel vapors? Have you coated the inside with any sort of sealant to protect against this, as well as make the product airtight?

Sorry for all the questions. Im a total nerd for 3D printing and when I saw (my buddy shared with me) this I wanted to get some more information. Overall I think these look great, its a good application of this technology, and is a really innovative product and process. I look forward to seeing more products like this and learning more about your process.

Thanks!
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Old 07-03-2019, 11:10 AM   #6
KillerBMotorsport
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pa9k View Post
Nylon is a proven plastic in automotive applications but of course and 3D printer part has some different properties than traditional manufacturing methods like injection molding. Looking at the surface finish and fine details I'm guessing this is printed on an SLS machine such as the Stratasys Fortus line. Afaik there is no option for glass or carbon fiber impregnated nylon with SLS machines. Would you mind sharing some information on the machine and material used?

These parts look really good, and I'd imagine would be a very popular conversation piece. Have you needed to do any secondary processes to these other than removing excess material?

There are two major concerns with 3D printed nylon, first is that any 3D printed part is porous solely due to the natur of 3D printing. Are any of these components under pressure or vacuum? What have you done to make these airtight?

The second concern about 3D printed nylon is that it is extremely hygroscopic (it absorbs liquid). While this generally has no impact on the performance and durability of the parts it will cause discoloration as it absorbs liquids contained in it. I assume this is one of the reasons these parts are made of a black died nylon. How much long term testing have you done on these products, specifically the catch can, and has there been any sign of it emitting an odor as is absorbs oil and fuel vapors? Have you coated the inside with any sort of sealant to protect against this, as well as make the product airtight?

Sorry for all the questions. Im a total nerd for 3D printing and when I saw (my buddy shared with me) this I wanted to get some more information. Overall I think these look great, its a good application of this technology, and is a really innovative product and process. I look forward to seeing more products like this and learning more about your process.

Thanks!
I'm not going to give away all of our process details, but they are done on an HP and we can use fiber reinforced materials if need be. So far, there has been no need. As you can see by the pics, they are currently in testing... and performing exceptionally well.

Before testing they are all exposed to vigorous bench testing; dependent on the part and usage of course. For example the water pump inlet was tested at temps no cooling system should ever see while at pressures well over double the cap spring rating. After that, we put them in use and so far have accumulated a few thousand miles without issue...




I prefer the black nylon because it tends to be a good match for engine bay bits. The insides do discolor some, but more take on the color of what they are exposed to and not to and decent depth.
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Old 07-03-2019, 11:15 AM   #7
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Thanks for the info! I wish you luck and hope to see more of this in the future. FWIW I think these are awesome.
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Old 07-05-2019, 07:41 AM   #8
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This is obviously cool. Put it into production!
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Old 07-05-2019, 07:46 AM   #9
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I'm in for an upper coolant reservoir and I'll even help you test it.
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Old 07-05-2019, 11:16 AM   #10
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Very Nice. I'm in for the stealthy look.
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Old 07-06-2019, 12:38 PM   #11
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Following!
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Old 07-16-2019, 09:13 PM   #12
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Subscribing :3

This looks awesome, what years are you gonna make the AOS for?
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Old 07-17-2019, 03:13 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Heatstreak96 View Post
This looks awesome, what years are you gonna make the AOS for?
Thank you!

2002-2019 WRX & STi, and most other EJ applications that have the same PCV layout.

Also the FA20 WRX 2015-2019 MY.
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Old 07-21-2019, 11:55 PM   #14
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Have you considered producing your oil pans out of a similar but durable material? I do know that VAG uses composite oil pans on the 1.8T and 2.0 EA888 engines. I believe Porsche does also on the GT3 also..
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Old 07-22-2019, 11:23 AM   #15
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This is the same grade of material you'll find on those applications. Even the base 911 has a plastic oil pan now (among MANY other newer cars). Strength comes from intelligent design, but the material pool is available to most anyone.
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Old 07-29-2019, 09:12 AM   #16
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What would the warranty be on this? Any less than your normal versions?

I know nothing about nylon as a material, or really anything about fab work, but from an outsider/ idiot perspective, what is the expected life time of something like this? In my experience, plastics and stuff get brittle and are prone to cracking. I know a lot of the parts in the car are plastic, but that's just one of my fears.
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Old 07-29-2019, 03:54 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jigga View Post
Have you considered producing your oil pans out of a similar but durable material? I do know that VAG uses composite oil pans on the 1.8T and 2.0 EA888 engines. I believe Porsche does also on the GT3 also..
Unless KillerB commits to extensive impact and gravel spray testing, I would avoid a nylon oil pan like the plague.

(Drawn from work experience in OEM warranty claims/part failure rates)
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Old 08-08-2019, 08:47 AM   #18
KillerBMotorsport
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Quote:
Originally Posted by car_freak85 View Post
Unless KillerB commits to extensive impact and gravel spray testing, I would avoid a nylon oil pan like the plague.

(Drawn from work experience in OEM warranty claims/part failure rates)
Here are some Nylon examples from our development 991.2...

As you can see, lots of plastic, and a plastic oil pan. They, and other high end sports cars, have been doing this for many years now.





Design is going to have a profound effect on longevity and durability, but we're not known for under-engineering

Plastic is something we're all going to see more and more in automotive applications as engineers take advantage of new process, manufacturing capabilities and material grades.
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Old 08-08-2019, 04:28 PM   #19
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C'mon, that engine is on the opposite end of the car compared to ANY Subaru (cept'n the 360), and has that MASSIVE, thick aluminum crossmember in front of it. Gravel spray is probably not a huge issue in this case, but the types of warranty failures I'm seeing are for things like sensor mounting bosses coming loose, drain plugs being overtightened, etc.

I'm not saying you guys at KillerB can't do a fantastic plastic oil pan, on the contrary, everything you folks build seems to reset the standard. But you're going to have to have an uphill climb to convince me that I need a plastic oil pan, especially when the EJ/EZ/FA engines was never designed around one, which brings up its own set of durability variables.

The other products discussed in this thread sound very promising, but unless a plastic oil pan costs the same as OEM, adds horsepower, increases MPGs while preventing spun bearings and cracked ring-lands, I just don't see the benefit for the average Joe.
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Old 08-08-2019, 08:41 PM   #20
KillerBMotorsport
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Quote:
Originally Posted by car_freak85 View Post
C'mon, that engine is on the opposite end of the car compared to ANY Subaru (cept'n the 360), and has that MASSIVE, thick aluminum crossmember in front of it. Gravel spray is probably not a huge issue in this case, but the types of warranty failures I'm seeing are for things like sensor mounting bosses coming loose, drain plugs being overtightened, etc.

I'm not saying you guys at KillerB can't do a fantastic plastic oil pan, on the contrary, everything you folks build seems to reset the standard. But you're going to have to have an uphill climb to convince me that I need a plastic oil pan, especially when the EJ/EZ/FA engines was never designed around one, which brings up its own set of durability variables.

The other products discussed in this thread sound very promising, but unless a plastic oil pan costs the same as OEM, adds horsepower, increases MPGs while preventing spun bearings and cracked ring-lands, I just don't see the benefit for the average Joe.

I never said we were making a plastic oil pan. Merely that the capabilities are there based on process and materials.

FWIW, the Porsche pan is WAAAY lower than a Subaru pan (despite the location) and hangs further off the wheel/axle centerline which means it's MORE likely to get impacted by something (rock, speed bump, etc...). With AWD and the pan in the rear it's FAR more likely to get hit with gravel since it's behind where the gravel is flying from. Design wise, the challenges are fewer than on the Porsche too since it spans a much shorter distance (thermal expansion) in two directions. You don't design an engine for a plastic pan, you design a plastic pan to work with a metal engine block.

Regardless... we have no pan plan man
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Old 08-08-2019, 09:35 PM   #21
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But maybe....you can produce a plastic intake manifold as well. Not that the AOS and expansion tanks aren't sweet.



Just putting that out there.
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Old 08-16-2019, 10:18 AM   #22
KillerBMotorsport
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2slofouru View Post
But maybe....you can produce a plastic intake manifold as well. Not that the AOS and expansion tanks aren't sweet.



Just putting that out there.
We have an intake design that we feel is innovative, versatile, and will have better performance than anything on the market. The catch! we would have to charge $3500 for it.

With some success on these black series parts we may look at 3d printing to help lower the projected price of this manifold.

What do you think?

Nick
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