Cadillac F1 team uses 3D Systems SLA printers to speed wind-tunnel testing

Cadillac’s new Formula 1 program picked SLA for the same reason it matters in a wind tunnel: speed without sacrificing surface quality. The team deployed seven 3D Systems printers to accelerate critical aerodynamic testing and produce parts, and 3D Systems said its tool-free SLA workflow can cut costs and eliminate weeks of lead time. In a sport where a tiny change in airflow can decide whether a concept lives or dies, that is not a side benefit. It is the point.

The setup is built around more than one machine and more than one resin. Cadillac is using Accura Xtreme White 200, Accura Xtreme Black, and Accura HPC, and 3D Systems said the program was co-developed with its Application Innovation Group. That matters because Formula 1 teams do not just need one clean prototype, they need repeated, parallel iterations that can move from CAD to test parts fast enough to keep the aerodynamic loop moving. Seven SLA systems suggest a shop organized for throughput, redundancy, and rapid comparison, not a single printer churning out display models.

3D Systems said the workflow helped Cadillac qualify in time for the 2026 Formula 1 season and the FORMULA 1 Qatar Airways Australian Grand Prix in March. That lines up with a team that is still building its identity while trying to arrive on schedule. Cadillac’s official website says it is entering the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship and calls itself “the first F1 team built from the ground up in over a decade.” The team names Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas as drivers, Zhou Guanyu as reserve driver, and Colton Herta as test driver. Cadillac’s entry was officially approved in March 2025 as the 11th team on the grid, and it made its U.S. debut at the Miami Grand Prix on May 3, 2026.

For hobby and prosumer printers, the lesson is simple: SLA is still the right tool when fit, finish, and turnaround matter more than brute-force size. If you are printing airflow parts, tight-fitting enclosures, snap-fit prototypes, molds, or anything that has to come off the plate ready for immediate checking, SLA behaves more like an engineering instrument than a convenience printer. FDM can be the cheaper workhorse, but when the design needs smooth surfaces, dimensional confidence, and quick revision cycles, Cadillac’s playbook is the one to copy.