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If any of you thinks that you have grasped the Zen of additive technologies and are ready to demonstrate aerobatics in practice, there is an option: an engineer named Eric Harrell shared files for 3D printing a replica of a boxer internal combustion engine.
The model has been in the public domain since last June, along with other interesting projects, some of which are already familiar to our community members - the Toyota four-cylinder engine and the transmission with a five-speed gearbox. Recently, another engineer named Jason Fenske showed an excellent printout of perhaps Eric's most interesting project - a model of a boxer engine. What is the passion of mechanical engineers for motors? Amazing.
For those who are not particularly versed in internal combustion engines, let us explain: in an boxer engine, the cylinders are divided into two rows, but they are located in the same plane - one row opposite the other. Hence the name. The main advantage of such a layout with a horizontal arrangement is the low height of the cylinder block, which significantly reduces the center of mass and, accordingly, increases the stability of the vehicle. In addition, the opposed arrangement of the cylinders and pistons helps to mutually damp vibrations. As a result, the scheme gained popularity on Porsche sports cars, from time to time Volkswagen and Alfa Romeo indulge in similar motors, and the Japanese company Subaru is considered the most loyal supporter, which installs boxer engines on almost all branded cars.
In our case, we are talking about a horizontally opposed engine for the Subaru Impreza WRX line. Racing versions of this car have earned considerable fame in rally and road circuit competitions. A replica on a scale of about 1: 3 exactly repeats the structure of a real engine, although it itself, for obvious reasons, is not an engine. The vast majority of parts, apart from screws, nuts and bearings, can be printed on a regular desktop FDM 3D printer. The author himself mastered the project with the help of a simple "prushi" for $ 200.
