For the development of vehicle models, the process of designing and converting into real-scale models is a very important step because this will affect commercial production in large quantities. Not only Ferrari, but almost all car brands in the world apply the method of shaping the car body on clay models after obtaining the design.
Ferraris in the development stage all start with a 1:1 scale clay model, handcrafted, manually aligning each line in the Ferrari brand’s shaping department. Located in the Centro Stile design center, Modelleria is where designers, modelers and color and trim experts work together to develop new Ferraris. They are also responsible for calculating and drawing up 3D designs converted from 2D sketches. Based on this, they will create a real model with a 1:1 scale made from clay material. The reason this material was chosen is because designers will be able to more easily align, modify, and add or remove details.
Creating shapes on clay models is a rigorous and delicate process for people with high expertise in creating sculptural models. They must work within a tight timetable to achieve results that correspond to the ideas in the initial sketches and must strictly follow the ideas on the digital model in 3D drawings.
To complete a design cycle from sketch to manufacturing a finished vehicle can take up to seven weeks. However, on average, at least two of these steps are carried out using clay models. At this stage, they can align, add and remove appropriate parts and details according to different stages of development.
First, designers must build a metal or wooden frame to serve as a foundation for clay coating and shaping. Once the clay layer has been applied, modelers and designers must embark on manual calibration, manual editing of every detail, technical scanning and even an automatic milling process until the piece is perfect. The car has an almost perfect shape according to 3D drawings.
For the construction of the individual parts of the vehicle, the design and modeling team used modern stereoscopic reconstruction techniques and specialized molds. Modelers must use special polymer materials that are more heat resistant and less likely to react to temperature like plastic clay materials.
Once completed, the clay surface was cleaned and a light layer of decal was applied to the body parts before placing under the LED light. This process helps highlight the lines thanks to the light reflected throughout the body of the car. This is an indispensable part of the design process. The LED light must run evenly throughout the vehicle. If any detail does not meet the requirements, the team will remove the decal sheet to manually adjust the clay until this detail becomes suitable. After completing this step, the team will perform the final scan to create a database to develop commercial vehicle models.
In an era of rapid development in production technology and increasingly modernized support machinery, manual shaping on clay is still trusted by Ferrari. This can be easily understood because this is the work of an artisan and this is also proof that no matter how good the technology is, human hands, eyes and judgment are still valuable assets. The highest prices at the factory of the Ferrari brand in the 21st century.
