Laser, plasma and waterjet
“Our idea was
to manufacture
any product
– no matter how
complex – better,
faster and cheaper
than anyone else”
cut either DOM (drawn over mandrel) mild
steel or chromemoly tubing with 0.125- or
0.095-inches-thick/3.2- or 2.4-millimetre-
Racing truck chassis
Above:
thick walls, Hype has achieved coped edges
Hype is the official manufacturer of truck
Heading
off to the
that are clean and precise.
chassis for the ASA Speed Truck Challenge;
track, the
King remarks, “When you cope a tube on
it manufactures, on average, five to six chas- Hype team the laser, it is a perfect fit.”
sis per year for teams located throughout the
loads an
When the tubing matches up, there are
United States. The rotary axis on both the
ASA speed
smaller and fewer gaps than would occur
truck onto
waterjet and laser cutting systems has offered
the team’s
when coping by hand. Its chassis is closer
the company many advantages as chassis are
tractor-
to its ‘natural’ state, which therefore delivers
typically coped and tube-notched by hand.
trailer
better strength and performance.
The cutting systems have greatly facilitated The benefits of the cutting systems and
the coping process by offering faster setup software have also enabled Hype to cre-
and greater precision. King holds a portion ate unique parts for its racing programme.
of tubing as he speaks: Andrews continues:
“As we cope a tube on the laser, we will “Other manufacturing facilities do not have
laser mark the part with an X. This way, when the capability to create some of the parts that
it is placed in the tube bending machine, we we do, such as specialized NASCAR duct
have the correct positioning and are able to get vents, and these parts are simply not avail-
within a tenth of a degree of repeatability. This able in the marketplace.” Andrews explains
enables us to produce chassis that are as simi- that specially engineered and manufactured
lar in form to one another as possible, thereby parts may be lighter and stronger, which
giving every team the same advantage.” makes vehicles faster and more efficient.
There are downstream advantages as well. The result is that other teams must either
Race cars flex when travelling at high speeds; purchase a custom Hype part or use some-
their bodies rotate. There is over 25 feet/7.5 thing that perhaps is not quite as innovative
metres of tubing used in the development of or beneficial.
one chassis. The more weld material that is used With all the tools it needs to succeed on
to fuse this tubing, the more inflexible the car hand, it is clear that optimism runs high at
becomes – a factor that can ultimately infringe Hype Manufacturing.
upon safety and performance. Since the weld “Race cars and high-end manufacturing
material is not actually a part of the tube, it equipment are like fine wine,” King states.
creates a stress; in effect, the more fill weld is “It’s all on the same page. For us, it’s a fun,
used, the weaker the chassis becomes. exciting adventure every day. We are like
In using the Bystronic cutting systems to kids in a candy store.” ISMR
International Sheet Metal Review May/June 2007 45
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