Nimrod Racing uses Autodesk Inventor to design Miniature Cars

SAN RAFAEL, Calif - Nimrod Racing uses Autodesk Inventor software to create customized radio controlled (RC) cars—many of them 1:10 scale models of classic vintage cars—for customers worldwide. Autodesk, Inc. has named the Hungary-based company as the November Autodesk Inventor of the Month for growing its business 100 percent in four years by successfully leveraging Digital Prototyping.

With fully functional motors, wheels and suspensions, Nimrod Racing cars can reach speeds of up to 110 kilometers per hour, much to the delight of hobbyists who race the cars in RC racing championships or for their own personal enjoyment. Parent company, R-Design Studio, created its Nimrod Racing division to focus on the design and production of custom-made RC cars. Today, the division produces 15 body shells and nearly 800 custom parts and components ranging from wheels to hubcaps.

Nimrod Racing uses Autodesk Alias Design software to design the car exterior body shells and Autodesk Inventor software to engineer components from the mechanical gears and suspension arms to the engine block and chassis.

“We are essentially designing a car in miniature, and because we can communicate between Autodesk Alias Design and Autodesk Inventor software, it’s easier for us to do the surface design and engineering in parallel to work through issues,” said Andras Szasz, head of design engineering for R-Design Studio. “We can easily see if heavy parts hit the bonnet or body and quickly solve the problem. There is no other way we would be able to achieve this without digital prototypes that allow us to visualize and simulate our design before we build physical prototypes.”

Autodesk Inventor software’s Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tool is particularly important in developing the chassis, which needs to be extremely strong but also very lightweight. “We use FEA to test shock absorber arms for strength and stiffness,” said Szasz. “They must be able to absorb all the shocks from the ground. But if they’re too heavy, the car will bump, making it unstable. FEA lets us identify where we extra material, helping us to reduce weight while meeting our strength requirements.”

Nimrod Racing’s use of Inventor software has enabled it to significantly reduce its physical prototyping requirements. Now, nearly 90 percent of the firm’s parts and components can be created without any physical prototyping—enabling quicker and more efficient turnaround on custom RC car orders.

“Nimrod Racing is saving time and money with Digital Prototyping,” said Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president, Manufacturing Industry Group at Autodesk. “By using a single digital model at every stage of production, Nimrod Racing has picked the fastest and most effective way to put its fantastic creations into the hands of its customers.”