Dutch supercar producer Donkervoort Automobielen has teamed up with Australian thermal know-how specialist Conflux Expertise to develop 3D printed water-charge air coolers (WCAC) for the upcoming P24 RS mannequin, marking a milestone within the utility of Method 1-grade additive manufacturing for road-legal automobiles.
The collaboration, detailed within the newest “Dwelling the Drive: Engineering Chapter” from Donkervoort, facilities round an ultra-lightweight, compact thermal administration system developed utilizing additive manufacturing. The brand new liquid-to-air WCAC models weigh simply 1.4 kg every, in comparison with the 16 kg of conventional air-to-air methods, delivering enhanced throttle response, improved packaging, and a major discount in engine bay quantity.
“We challenged ourselves to search out the easiest way to maintain consumption air chilly, and Conflux delivered,” stated Denis Donkervoort, Managing Director at Donkervoort. “We gave Conflux our precise specs, and so they delivered an answer so efficient, we might even downsize it from the unique prototype.”
Every Conflux air cooler is customized 3D printed in aluminium alloy with tailor-made fin geometry, density, and dimensions to suit instantly between the PTC engine’s turbochargers and throttle our bodies. The models are supported by a thin-wall radiator system requiring much less coolant and floor space than typical radiators.
Michael Fuller, Founding father of Conflux, added: “That is Method 1 cooling know-how, scaled for the street. Collaborations like this present how additive manufacturing can ship high-performance options in limited-production automotive environments.”
By relocating the WCACs into the engine bay and shortening the inlet tract, the system gives quicker air supply to the combustion chamber, thereby boosting engine effectivity and driver responsiveness. Mixed with Van der Lee’s billet turbochargers, this thermal innovation is a core factor of Donkervoort’s evolution of its light-weight PTC engine platform.
Additive manufacturing reshapes thermal methods throughout high-performance sectors
This announcement follows Conflux Expertise’s broader push into worldwide markets and automotive purposes. In April 2025, the corporate launched a UK hub to assist European clients and broaden manufacturing of its 3D printed warmth exchangers. Conflux is amongst a rising variety of companies leveraging additive manufacturing to rethink thermal methods, current analysis has proven that 3D printed condensers can outperform conventional designs, underscoring the efficiency advantages of AM-enabled cooling options.
Different developments embrace Conflux’s partnership with Rocket Manufacturing facility Augsburg to combine 3D-printed warmth exchangers into orbital rockets and its launch of high-performance cartridge-style warmth exchanger designed for fluid management methods in automotive and industrial environments.
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Featured picture exhibits the Donkervoort P24 RS air coolers sitting within the engine bay.
Picture by way of Donkervoort Automobielen.