It all starts in the mind. Sometimes
it's a race on Speedvision, an article in Road & Track or a visit to
a car dealership. Regardless, the seed has been planted and the eventual
conclusion is the same: "The RC world needs this new body style."
Unfortunately, that's the easiest part of the procedure. Creating a quality
mold that will be used to mass-produce thousands of Lexan replicas on
this latest body-style "vision" will require some serious time
and dedication.
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Step 1: Research
Once the commitment is made to forge ahead on a new body project,
the next requirement is accurate data. Photos of the "real"
car as well as measurements are needed to properly shape a 1/10-scale
pattern or "buck" that replicates the full-sized car. This pattern
is the first of four distinctly different procedures that will eventually
result in a crystal-clear, vacuum-formed Lexan body. The pattern is painstakingly
shaped using raw materials that are easily "workable," meaning
that changes can be made as the pattern evolves. Materials such as wood,
synthetic wood, plastic, clay and Bondo are popular with patternmakers.
The dimensions from the real car are used to emulate the body's proportions
with some degree of accuracy. Because these down-sized bodies need to
fit a prescribed RC chassis format, such as 4WD sedan, off-road car, pan-car
or monster truck chassis, it's sometimes impossible to make exact replicas
such as you will find with die-cast or plastic models. However, great
care is taken at Pro-Line/PROTOform to make sure that a "BMW looks
like a BMW" and a "Chevy looks like a Chevy," in spite
of dimensional liberties we've taken to ensure a proper fit. It's during
this part of the procedure that another factor comes into play: "Does
this new body need to work?" What I mean is: Does the type of car
to be used under this new body require aerodynamic "aid" in
order to be competitive on a racetrack? For the last 10 years, it's become
increasingly apparent that a properly tuned body is a key ingredient in
race-winning performance. RC cars are exactly like full-size racecars
in this area. Some bodies will create downforce, which in turn creates
traction, which translates into speed. It's at this stage of the project
that performance-enhancing "tricks" can be incorporated into
the pattern's shape in hopes of creating a body that not only looks right,
but will hopefully also enhance performance.
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Step 2: Pattern
Once the pattern has been meticulously shaped, smoothed and massaged into
a high-gloss "thing of beauty," it's time to go to the second
stage. A "negative" impression will now be made of the finished
pattern. This is done by pouring a liquid rubber-like material over the
pattern. This material will harden into a firm yet pliable state and,
when separated from the pattern, create a perfect impression of the original
shape.
Step 3: Negative or Rubber
The third part of the process is to suspend a core in the rubber cavity
mold and pour into it the material that creates the actual "production"
mold. The production mold needs to be made from an extremely durable material
that's able to withstand the rigors of extreme heat and abrasion. When
Lexan (heated to 460°F) is sucked down, then dragged across the mold
(during body production), the mold must be able to endure the constant
abuse. When this liquid mold material has hardened sufficiently, a perfect
duplicate of the original pattern has now been created. This mold still
requires more detail to be engraved into it, such as window lines and
trim lines. A series of vacuum holes are also drilled into the production
mold to finish it completely.
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Step 4
The fourth and final stage is complete when the production mold is affixed
into the thermo-forming (vacuum-forming) machine to begin production.
The Lexan to be used starts in sheet form and is usually either 30- or
40-thousandths of an inch thick. This sheet is pre-heated in the forming
machine's oven, then quickly pulled by vacuum around the body mold. After
a few seconds of cooling, the Lexan hardens and is pulled off the mold
to be trimmed and packaged with the appropriate accessories and decals.
If a mold is treated with care, it can be used for years or until it's
become an obsolete design.
At PROLINE/PROTOform, we have a basic philosophy when it comes to RC
bodies: "No compromise." From the conception of an new body
style to the final product, every segment of the process is done with
a critical eye on quality. We want the RC enthusiast to sense the passion
built into every Pro-Line body and to feel he has a state-of-the-art design
and an "aero-advantage" when he races with a PROTOform race
body.
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