d o r i c rac i n g
R&D drives innovation and success
F
rom a distance, there appears to be
little in common between door and
window hardware manufacturing and
racing V8 Supercars, but underneath, Doric
and Erebus Racing are intrinsically linked at
the heart of what drives them both.
Both companies not only rely on their
intense research and development programs
to drive the success of their businesses, but
also employ a similar R&D philosophy.
The Alchin Long Group (ALG) has a
dedicated team of 12 industrial designers,
mechanical engineers and electrical
engineers who work solely on R&D for
brands including Doric and Cowdroy.
David Winston, head of R&D at ALG, says
the team works full time on new concepts
for the company with a heavy emphasis on
innovation.
“The first stage is researching the problem
to determine the needs of our customers,
as well as the needs of the end user,” says
David. “We also try to understand emerging
trends and how living spaces are evolving.”
“We generate a wide range of concepts using
CAD software to explore and visualise ideas.
Our ability to 3D print in-house has allowed
us to rapidly test and communicate ideas.
This process encourages our design team to
be more creative in their approach. We use
this as a way to really drive innovation.”
“Once we finalise the 3D printed parts, we
use CNC prototyping to test all aspects of
the product. Production materials are used
to accurately test the products performance.
We’ve got a really great testing facility so we
do all our testing in house through Azuma
Design.
18 Australian Window Association Summer 2015
While they may be used for vastly different
purposes, Erebus’ R&D operations plot a
similar path to ALG.
“We have a specialist R&D engine guy who
works full time. Then the chassis, damper
and suspension R&D is done in-house here
by our own engineering team,” says Erebus
team manager, Ben Croke.
“The engine work is always ongoing. We’re
always trying to get the best out of that,
working on internal and external parts that
will ultimately give us a better lap time. In
terms of the chassis and suspension parts,
we prioritise things from data we have from
previous events. We look at where we might
be lacking compared to our opposition and
try to improve that part of the car.”
is clearance. It’s a huge benefit for us.”
“We have a really heavy emphasis on R&D
at Erebus. You can’t sit still in racing. If you
do, you’ll go backward fairly quickly, so
you’re always looking to evolve, make your
car a better car and ultimately improve your
performance.”
The hard work behind Erebus’ R&D program
is starting to pay dividends, with the squad
becoming a consistent threat at the front of
the V8 Supercar field this year.
Lead driver and Doric Ambassador, Will
Davison, has stormed into the top ten nine
times so far this season. The 33-year-old has
qualified in the top ten 14 times this year;
proof that Erebus’s effort behind the scenes
is helping them gain seconds on the track.
Like Doric, Erebus starts with an idea before
modelling it on a computer and printing it in
plastic.
“Erebus has improved in leaps and bounds
over the last 12 months,” says Davison.
“It will always be done as a concept first as
a CAD drawing. Then we’ll model it out of
plastic with a 3D printer. Then the part will
be produced. We would then typically test
that part at a test day, firstly to see if it’s
an improvement, and secondly to gauge its
reliability.
“Not every new bit we make for the car
works the way we’d like it to, but that’s
just how the process works. We come
up with new ideas, test them out, make
some changes and test them some more.
It’s a lengthy process but the guys at the
workshop do an amazing job.
Ben agrees that the 3D printing technology
has made a big difference to the way the
team develops new products.
“It’s a huge part of racing and drives us to do
better every time we hit the track.”
“We’ve been doing the plastic printing
for the last two years. We started with
one printer, we’ve now got three of them.
It makes a big difference to the way we
do things. It’s one thing to look at it on a
computer screen, but we can now actually
hold it in our hands and sometimes even fit
the plastic part to the car to make sure there
As 2015 and the V8 Supercar racing season
heads into its final