Methods for Checking the Symmetry of the Formula One Car Nose

Abstract

Checking the symmetry of a Formula One (F1) car nose requires the measurement and inspection of complex surfaces and raises a number of challenges both in terms of the equipment used and the measurement strategy. Verifying the symmetry allows the identification of the asymmetrical areas regarding the critical aerodynamic elements of F1 car nose. This paper presents three methods to check the symmetry of a F1 car nose and to determine the deviation using symmetry points (by points measuring) in plane using 2D scanned profiles and 3D laser scanned surfaces. In order to acquire the symmetry points, and to scan the profiles and the surfaces, a state of the art multi-sensor CMM (Coordinated Measuring Machine) has been used and the data has been processed in CATIA V5.