STRUCTURAL OPTIMIZATION OF A RACE CAR BRAKE CALIPER

The paper is focused on the structural optimization of the brake caliper for a race car. A double stage approach was followed. Firstly a Multi-objective optimization approach was followed for minimizing the mass while maximizing the structural stiffness of the caliper. In this stage a simplified finite element model of the caliper was developed and used for the multi-objective optimization. The model consists of a frame structure made by rectangular beam elements. The design variables considered were the elements cross sections and the location of some nodes of the structure for evaluating different shapes of the component. The locations of the connections to the upright was optimized too. In the second stage a more refined structural optimization method has been applied. Topology optimization was applied and an asymmetric shape was obtained. The obtained structure allowed a 17% reduction of the mass with respect to the actual production component