MCT Engineering: Pushing the Limits of Motorsport Manufacturing

Founded in 1997, MCT Engineering has been a leading name in British carbon-fiber manufacturing for nearly three decades. The company works with major brands including Aston Martin, BMW, Cosworth, JLR, McLaren and Mercedes-Benz.

From engine parts to body panels for hyper cars and F1 vehicles, MCT operates on a foundation of precision and ongoing technical investment. Based in Daventry, Northamptonshire, the company runs five autoclaves and employs over 100 specialists, including technicians, CAD operators and design engineers.

The Need: Material Control, Design Agility, and Faster Turnaround

MCT first explored additive manufacturing in 2019 via external partners, using 3D printed components in brake ducts, plenums, bodywork and mirrors for high-performance vehicles.

"We have a culture of continuous improvement, and invested in 3D laser scanning in 2023," explains Gwyn Roberson, innovation and futures director at MCT Engineering, "We wanted to bring 3D printing in-house, to gain more design control and allow ourselves a wider range of material choices. We began researching industrial 3D printers to explore which materials could be printed and how they would perform in comparison to our existing methods."

To meet internal production goals, MCT aimed to bring 3D printing capabilities in-house. The decision was driven by three key factors:

Greater design control and broader material compatibility
Improved dimensional consistency, especially for jigs and fixtures
Reduced dependency on external providers and wet lay-up processes

The Search: Testing Materials, Accuracy, and Reliability

MCT carried out structured trials to assess industrial 3D printing platforms. Engineers tested a range of high-temperature filaments including fiber-reinforced PEEK, PEI 1010 and fiber-reinforced nylon, evaluating material shrinkage and performance under autoclave conditions (130–150°C).

At a trade show, the team reviewed parts produced on the INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO 610HT and was impressed by their accuracy and surface finish. This led to a more in-depth evaluation of the printer’s thermal capabilities, material range and reliability in day-to-day use.

The open-material platform also aligned well with MCT’s interest in managing costs and ensuring long-term supply flexibility.

“We chose the 610HT because it is open source, which allows us to lower the cost of materials. It also offered higher levels of accuracy than other printers,” states Felix Schwarz, Production Engineer at MCT Engineering.

FUNMAT PRO 610HT Integrated into Daily Workflow

MCT selected the INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO 610HT for its high-temperature printing capabilities, large build volume, open material access and consistent part accuracy.

The system was deployed across multiple departments, allowing engineers to gain hands-on experience and produce both functional parts and tooling directly from CAD. Internal teams also received training to better understand how to work with high-performance materials such as fiber-reinforced PEEK.

Use Cases: Real-World Applications and Measurable Results

The FUNMAT PRO 610HT is now integrated across MCT Engineering’s daily operations, used for printing jigs, fixtures, molds, and prototypes. Specific applications include:

High-precision jigs and fixtures: Used in hyper carengine assembly, replacing wet lay composite methods. The printed tools offer improved consistency and faster production, reducing turnaround from days to hours.
Autoclave-resistant molds:Printed in materials like fiber-reinforced PEEK and PEI 1010, these molds withstand 130–150°C curing cycles and maintain structural integrity.
Extractable cores for carbon fiberducts: 3D printing enables smooth internal surfaces, improving airflow and thermal performance—difficult to achieve with traditional methods.
Rapid tooling and low-volume production: Parts that previously took up to a week can now be produced in under 24 hours. Smaller component moldsare often completed within 8 hours.

Results at a glance:

Reduced cost per part by eliminating outsourcing
Improved accuracy and reliability through CAD-driven design
Greater speed and agility in prototyping and development

The 610HT has helped MCT move from test-phase adoption to full production use, integrating additive manufacturing as a core part of its engineering capabilities.

After thorough research and benchmarking, WEERG chose INTAMSYS as their supplier. The INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO 410 met all their requirements with features like a heated chamber, dual heated nozzles, and a heated filament chamber.

INTAMSYS offered one single solution that got it all:

A robust printer with a sleek aesthetic finish, heated chamber, dual heated nozzles, and heated filament chamber.
Free and user-friendly software with incorporated printing settings (Click and Print experience) for a wide range of materials (from PA12-CF to PEEK).
Reliable support, and most importantly for WEERG, honesty and a true partnership.

WEERG also appreciated the user-friendly software with incorporated printing settings and the reliable support from INTAMSYS.

We accompany our customers in a professional manner throughout the entire project - from planning and design to the prototype or the production of a complete series. Combining our 3D printing processes with conventional component processing, post-processing and surface refinement of the prototypes, small series or even a trade fair exhibit is our daily business. Since the company was founded in 1995, our experienced team in Gross-Gerau has made a name for itself well beyond the borders of the Rhine-Main area. We are one of the leading service providers for everything to do with 3D printing and have more than satisfied customers from a wide variety of industries - from the automotive and consumer goods industries to mechanical engineering and companies from the medical technology sector.

Alex Di Maglie
Managing Director, 4D Concepts

3D PRINTER

FUNMAT PRO 410
COST-EFFECTIVE

Print Larger, Print More
OPEN

Open-Sourced Filaments

3D PRINTER

FUNMAT HT
COST EFFICIENCY

Lower Cost, Shorter Lead Times
MATERIAL SUPERIORITY

Versatile INTAM™ Polymers

Tank Holder

The tank holder is a new part in this year´s racing car. The part is printed on the FUNMAT PRO 610HT with the material choice of ABS. For the driverless disciplines, the team uses pressurized air to activate the brakes in an emergency. This year, they changed the concept of how pressurized air is stored, which required a new mounting solution. The tank holder is designed to solve this challenge.

Flap Ribs

Other 3D printed parts, using the FUNMAT PRO 610HT and PC material, are the flap ribs that play a crucial role in the construction of the car’s side wing. These ribs are glued into the carbon-fiber shells and incorporate threaded inserts for attaching the wing to the chassis.

While the team has used these ribs for years, they have redesigned for this season to accommodate changes in the aerodynamic shape of the wings. Using INTAMSUITE™ NEO and the 3D printing technology, they conducted topology optimization to achieve the lightest possible geometry, resulting in an organic shape that would not be possible to manufacture by milling.

"Investing in our own industrial 3D printer, with CDG 3D Tech's training and support, saves time and allows MCT Engineering to print components more economically and undertake a de-risking study on new projects which opens up opportunities for us to grow our business," concludes Gwyn Roberson.

Bringing the FUNMAT PRO 610HT in-house has enabled MCT Engineering to scale up its use of advanced materials, streamline internal workflows, and shorten lead times across development projects.

Additive manufacturing is now embedded in MCT’s operations—not only as a tooling method, but as a strategic production tool that supports broader business growth and responsiveness to customer demand.

INTAMSYS is proud to support MCT Engineering with industrial 3D printing solutions that transform how carbon-fiber parts are designed, developed, and delivered.

Learn more about the FUNMAT PRO 610HT.

🔗 Read CDG's original article
🔗 Visit MCT Engineering

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MCT Engineering: Pushing the Limits of Motorsport Manufacturing

About MCT Engineering

The Additive Manufacturing Journey

The Solution

4D Concepts – prototype of a temperature-resistant pulley made of glass-fiber reinforced PEEK (PEEK-GF).

The application of high-end filaments made of high-performance plastics such as PEI is not new to the field of 3D Printing. However, it requires both, a wide range of skills (materials and production) and the appropriate machinery.

Thanks to its large-format 3D printer from INTAMSYS, 4D Concepts can now process a wide range of high-end plastics with excellent thermal and mechanical properties for prototyping. Parts are out of PEI 9085.

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Our Solution

Tank Holder

Flap Ribs

Looking Ahead: From Innovation to Scalable Growth

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