Inside cavities are formed using sand cores, which are then discarded during thermal processes. When finished, the eight-cylinder engine weighs about 45 kilograms and still features the so-called sprues, aluminium appendages resulting from the casting process, which are then discarded in subsequent stages. After casting, all pieces undergo tempering and aging heat treatments, as well as several dimension and structural conformity controls, before being sent to the mechanical motor unit.
The 12-cylinder engine -- the Ferrari engine by definition -- takes about 20 days to make and also undergoes several stages, from mechanical work to heat treatment and finishing. With a sound that is hard to reproduce anywhere else, the engine is considered by many to be a piece of engineering excellence and even a work of art. The 12-cylinder engine loses about 50 percent of its weight over the course of the entire engine manufacturing process.
The 12-cylinder head, too, requires several stages of production, including the checking of seals against oil and water, completing the valve train group, and the superfinishing. The process is almost entirely automated and performed through a thermal interference process, whereby the valve seat is cooled with liquid nitrogen to 196 degrees centigrade, which reduces its volume by 40 to 60 microns. At the same time, the head is warmed up to 160 degrees centigrade, which increases its volume by 0.12 to 0.15 square millimeters. Robots then place the valve seat into the cylinder head, and once done, the entire head is plunged into water. The thermal shock makes the coupling with the seat indissoluble.
“The sound of the engine is something that reinforces the emotion of driving a Ferrari,” said Mariella Mengozzi, the museum manager. “Ferrari doesn't just sell cars. It sells dreams.”
Designed for mechanical perfection
Ferrari currently manufactures more than 6,000 cars a year, and its current models like the 458 Italia, the 599 GTB Fiorano, the California, and the FF continue in the tradition of the firm’s historic fusion of technology and style.
“The design in Ferrari is something very peculiar, because it has always been linked to functionality,” said Mengozzi, noting that the firm has always been highly focused on the car’s mechanics. The first priority was always the engine and transmission, followed by the other mechanical components, only after which the design and style of the chassis came into play.
The design of the cars was very much linked to the mechanical interiors of the car, said Mengozzi, so the shape of the chassis was often the way it was to cover mechanical features like the battery. Aerodynamics didn’t yet exist at the time when the original cars were produced -- just a sense of how the car could be more effective, she explained.
We visited Maranello last fall on a trip through Italy, and what we were most impressed with was the sound of engines throughout the town. The mechanics will take cars out on the road to test drive them, so it's not uncommon to have one cruise by. Additionally, there's a place adjacent to the Ferrari museum where, for a fee, one can get "pre-flight instruction" on driving a Ferrari, then take one (accompanied by an experienced driver) out on the road.
Thank you! That means a lot to me! It was a piece i really enjoyed writing, so it's always nice to hear that people enjoyed reading it too.
I was also surprised that annual production was just 6000, but rarity increases value, so I guess there is incentive to keep it high quality, high cost.
Sylvie—terrific article!I certainly learned something today.I had no idea their annual production was only 6,000 cars.They obviously go for quality and not quantity.Sadly enough, I read today the earthquake in Bologna has shut the factory for an undetermined period of time.Let's hope there were no injuries or significant damage and they can get up and running again quickly.Your description of their factory mirrors the efforts of VW here in my home town (Chattanooga, Tennessee).VW has built a "green" production facility that is truly marvelous.Again, great article.
Indeed! Or express a wide variety of experience. It all depends on what topic comes up in these magazines.
Ever read any of the Ingersoll Rand Compressed Air trade magazines? They have covered everything from restoring a WWII 16" coastal defense rifle, to bees. There is only the magazine name on the front cover and company advertising on the inside and back cover.
Needless to say, some of the articles generate a lot of information from the knowledgeable readers.
The first design V12s were replaced in sports cars in about 1953 with an engine series based on their formula one engine; first four cylinders, then a six cylinder inline.
Allezw, I think you are thinking about another brand of car. As far as I can tell the first Ferrari's were V12s. The Dino was the first V6 (starting out at 2L), which was later enlarged to a 3L V8. This is the genesis of their current mid-engine line.
T.E. Lawrence wrote a stirring description of his bike also telling of the hand pump used to lubricate engine parts for the constant loss system. Interestingly, AMC, the company manufacturing the AJS, Sunbeam, and Matchless motorcycles, built the Brough-Superior V2 on a special line. They used the fork and blade connecting rod arrangement to avoid cylinder offset, among other detail differences from the AMC twins also used for the later Morgan trikes.
At the time of the Brough-Superior, before Lawrence put it forever into the history books, all motorcycles were hand built with specialists for each component and often a single worker responsible for the final assembly before it was tested and then sent on to the dealer or directly to the owner.
I believe Velocette was the last major manufacturer to retain that tradition.
Your bit on the F1 engine was clear enough. The tipoff for me was the exhaust pipes.
I started on Cushman scooters delivering papers. They ranged from single speed with the centrifigal clutch to the two-speed with the oversize tires. Had a '37 Indian Chief, a '47 Harley 'Glide, a '48 Harley Hummer, a '49 Indian Brave, the little Brit-style 440cc twin, a'51 AJS 500 single, a 53 Matchless 500 single, a '56 Matchless 650cc, '61 Matchless G50. The last remaining is a '63 CB77 Honda, still in the stable. Looking at a new India manufactured Royal Enfield. My 1959 Berkley used the 700cc twin, up from the Villiers triple two-stroke.
Perhaps I might have made the distinction more precise had I said the "FIRST" Testa Rossa was a four banger. It began as a two liter and expanded to over three liters before being superseded by the Dino v6. The later V12s automobiles, curiously, were Testarossas. Note the difference in the names.
Allezw, you are wrong there. The Testa Rosa was built between 1984 and 1996. It had a mid-engine flat 12 cylinder engine of 4.9 litres displacement.
There was a race car from the late 50s to early 60s that was called the 250 Testa Rosa. It had a 3L 12 cylinder engine. This car won LeMans three times.
By experimenting with the photovoltaic reaction in solar cells, researchers at MIT have made a breakthrough in energy efficiency that significantly pushes the boundaries of current commercial cells on the market.
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
6 
