Sauber
Aerodynamics
From a vision to a customised high-end service
It was always clear to Peter Sauber that the advantages of aerodynamics would be crucial to the success of his Formula One team. As a perceptive entrepreneur, he determinedly implemented the vision of his own wind tunnel: The newest and most efficient Formula One wind tunnel was opened in 2004 and has been continuously developed since then. Sauber is an innovative and experienced partner for state-of-the-art aerodynamic solutions — from motorsport, automotive engineering and aerospace to differentiate industrial applications and individual requirements.
The cutting-edge wind tunnel
There is no such thing as a best wind tunnel. It depends on what it is used for, as well as on the specific requirements. The Sauber Aerodynamics wind tunnel in Hinwil was designed for the development and optimisation of Formula One cars. This is about development steps at the highest level: accelerating the car by hundredths of a second. With this in mind, the Sauber wind tunnel is cutting-edge in terms of motorsport – featuring qualities and characteristics which are also ideal for various other projects.
State of the art is more than the sum of the technical features
The Sauber wind tunnel ensures the highest flow quality and is equipped with the latest measuring equipment, a model motion system in continuous motion mode and the biggest single belt system on the market. It also provides sophisticated processes, which have been developed for many years, and customer-oriented project management: intelligent test series and the target-oriented evaluation of measurement data are crucial in providing results that can be deployed efficiently. Our aerodynamicists, engineers and computer scientists draw on their extensive experience, pioneering spirit and ambition to ensure that each project is absolutely perfect.
Before and after the wind tunnel
Sauber Aerodynamics uses the wind tunnel to test what the customer provides, and delivers the results. Furthermore, Sauber builds models for the planned tests in the wind tunnel that are precisely tuned to the specific parameters to be examined – subsequently analysing the measured data and entering it into the project-related aerodynamic development. New prototypes are created, and fine-tuning is performed, for example, with detailed variants for individual components produced by way of 3D printing processes.
The future has begun – with the virtual wind tunnel
The rapid increase in the processing power of supercomputers results in ever faster development stages in the CFD flow simulation (computational fluid dynamics). Our entire practical aerodynamic know-how flows dynamically into the Sauber software which was developed in-house. Our virtual wind tunnel delivers precise estimates for real flow processes, including the simulation of various conditions. Consequently, we are able to place the entire spectrum of up-to-date aerodynamic development at our customers’ disposal.
Customers and projects, challenges and commitment
Sauber Aerodynamics appeals to a broad spectrum of customers. Leading car manufacturers, motorsport teams and renowned companies from various industries deploy our infrastructure and our skills, particularly during prototyping and the development phases of previous versions for new products and models. Additionally, we are fascinated and inspired by a wide range of tasks and challenges – including partnerships with universities. The focus is also on Switzerland as a location for research and industry, which is something we are actively committed to.