Haas F1 Team has signed 17-year-old Santino Ferrucci as its development driver. The American from Woodbury, Connecticut, will be embedded with Haas F1 Team at every opportunity, attending races and tests throughout the year while also participating in the team’s simulator program.

Ferrucci is campaigning the full GP3 Series schedule in 2016 for DAMS, an accomplished racing team that has helped graduate numerous drivers to the FIA Formula One World Championship, including Haas F1 Team’s Romain Grosjean, who earned three championships with DAMS – the 2010 Auto GP title, the 2011 GP2 Asia Series crown and the 2011 GP2 Series championship.

“In Formula One, developing your personnel is as important as developing your racecar. You can’t have one without the other,” said Guenther Steiner, team principal, Haas F1 Team. “Santino Ferrucci has done a very good job of proving himself in each of the racing series he’s competed in, and his maturity outside of the racecar is impressive. We see Santino as a young, American driver with a lot of potential. His opportunity with DAMS is an excellent way for him to further his development while positioning Haas F1 Team for future success.”

Haas F1 Team makes its debut this season, becoming the first American-led Formula One team in 30 years. Each of the nine races comprising the 2016 GP3 Series schedule is in conjunction with Formula One, allowing Ferrucci ample opportunity to integrate himself with Haas F1 Team.

“My goal since I first started racing was to become a Formula One driver, and to be an American who is part of an American team is something I take a tremendous amount of pride in,” Ferrucci said. “There is still a lot of work I need to do, but being paired with Haas F1 Team will allow me to learn more and at a faster rate. It’ll allow me to make the most of my GP3 drive with DAMS and, ultimately, prepare me for Formula One.”

Like many drivers, Ferrucci began his career in karting. At age 5, he was touring the United States and Europe. By the time he was 11, Ferrucci was a multi-time champion.

In 2013, Ferrucci graduated to open-wheel racing, competing in Formula 2000 and the Skip Barber Racing Series. Ferrucci won his Skip Barber Racing Series debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway and collected five victories, two poles and three fastest-lap awards upon the conclusion of the season. In Formula 2000, Ferrucci never finished outside of the top-four in the six races he started, with each field featuring 37 or more cars.

The 2014 season saw Ferrucci in British Formula 3. He won two races, both at Brands Hatch, becoming the youngest race winner in the history of British Formula 3 at 16 years, two months and 30 days.

In 2015, Ferrucci continued to advance in open-wheel, competing in the Toyota Racing Series New Zealand and the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. Ferrucci finished third in the Toyota Racing Series New Zealand point standings on the strength of a win and five podiums, his first full season competing in an open-wheel championship.

Ferrucci’s ascension up the racing ladder continues in 2016 with DAMS in the GP3 Series and Haas F1 Team in Formula One.

The VF-16, Haas F1 Team’s first racecar, has arrived! The car was revealed February 21st to the world motorsport press at the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya, where it began pre-season testing, February 22nd.

Of all Haas machines with VF nomenclature, this four-wheeled, Ferrari-powered model has been perhaps the most eagerly anticipated since Gene Haas stated his intentions to enter the world’s greatest race series, less than 2-years ago. Haas Automation Inc., the company Mr. Haas founded in 1983, is Haas F1 Team’s principal sponsor and the genesis of the F1 venture.

“From an international standpoint, Formula One is the highest echelon of racing, and Haas Automation builds the highest-quality machine tools,” said Mr. Haas, who has grown Haas Automation Inc. into the largest machine tool builder in North America, with more than $1 billion in annual sales.

“When you hear the words Formula One you know exactly what they stand for: a global racing series that invests in the latest technology and attracts the best talent in engineering and design. Haas Automation has an excellent reputation in the United States – for reliability, innovation, and value for money – and I want that reputation to continue to grow worldwide. Connecting Haas Automation with F1 in name and in practice is the best way to grow our business, and elevate Haas Automation to a premium, global brand.”

The dark grey, light grey, and striking red-toned livery of the Haas VF-16 was derived from that of Haas Automation’s CNC vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers, and CNC rotary tables and indexers: a ‘complete’ line of high-productivity CNC products.

The Oxnard, California-based Haas Automation Inc. employs around 1300 people, and exports approximately 60% of its annual production to more than 60 countries. There are close to 185,000 Haas CNC machine tools installed around the world, supported by a network of 170 Haas Factory Outlets (HFOs) – independently owned sales and technical service businesses, dedicated to providing industry-leading support, wherever a customer is based.

The VF-16 demonstrates Haas Automation’s – and Gene Haas’ – commitment to technology and innovation to a passionate, global audience, many of whom are already Haas customers, or who perhaps work in the precision engineering and manufacturing sectors.

“Just as Haas Automation’s CNC machine tools evolve continually, becoming better and more efficient as time goes by, our methodology behind the VF-16 was to make it the best evolution of a good F1 car,” explained Guenther Steiner, team principal, Haas F1 Team. “As we’re a new team, we studied what the successful F1 teams were doing, so we had a strong baseline for the direction we needed to go with our design.

“We need to go out there and show that we can do the job – that’s our first objective,” states Steiner. “Then show we can finish races, that we are respected by the fans and other teams in the paddock and, of course, that we can score points. That’s the goal!”

The VF-16 is being tested on-track at Barcelona Feb. 22-25 and March 1-4, before its debut race, the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, March 20, in Melbourne.

A small but ambitious prototyping shop in Barcelona has invested in a Haas UMC-750 five-axis machining centre. The machine, which has cut set-up times dramatically, is producing complex parts to tight tolerances, from materials ranging from various aluminium alloys, to titanium and surgical-grade stainless steels.

It’s not easy to start a machining business. Often, success depends on bringing something new to the market. For their USP, the founders of Barcelona-based Blumeprot decided in 2011 to create a subcontract machine shop specialising in higher-value parts, particularly prototypes and small series pre-production batches.

The idea was inspired by the rise of 3D printed parts. While these are currently popular with engineering companies, designers are often frustrated at receiving parts that are not made from design-intent materials. Blumeprot seeks to address this issue with CNC machining. However, to keep up with the speed of 3D printing, the company relies on its Haas machine tools, the most recent addition to which is a UMC-750 universal machining centre.

“We already had one small, five-axis model from another machine tool manufacturer, so we were aware of the potential savings in set-up time, but we needed another with larger capacity,” explains company Director, Josep Marsol. “We were attracted to Haas because of the impressive quality-price ratio. We also discovered that not only is the Haas UMC-750 the perfect size for our requirements, but it also is quicker and more precise than many other machines on the market, and produces better quality surfaces. Some of our clients want aesthetics, others want accuracy; many want both.”

Around half of the output at Blumeprot is destined for customers in the medical device sector, including the likes of Grifols, a market-leading manufacturer of blood-plasma processing products. A further 20 percent of throughput is for the automotive industry, for clients such as VW and Seat, as well as motorcycle producers. Other sectors served include motorsport, aerospace, and science, to name but a few.

“Each application requires a different approach to manufacturing, and our mission is to advise clients with the solution that best fits their needs,” says Mr. Marsol. “We are always happy to help analyse the functionality of prototypes. We also collaborate with clients to study a redesign in order to achieve lower costs and maximise the benefits in subsequent volume production.”

The parts being machined on the Haas UMC-750 on the day the photos were taken were a batch of wheel hub components for a French rally car team. The complex parts, which are made from magnesium, require the production of numerous features, including scallops, ribs, bosses, irregularly shaped pockets, and inclined surfaces, some to tolerances of 0.02 mm.

Mr. Marsol says that the aim of Blumeprot is always to deliver very-high-quality parts quickly, at the right price. To help with this, there’s a seat of Missler TopSolid at every machine in the workshop, so each machinist has full responsibility. Shop floor staff here are clearly more than just operators.

“We are like a training school,” Mr. Marsol laughs. “All of our machinists are trained to a very high standard. We need them to be switched-on, so that we can meet our tight deadlines, especially since installing the UMC-750, which has already helped us attract more work.”

Haas Automation, Inc., Oxnard, California, reports that its annual revenues exceeded $1Billion for the first time in company history in 2014 – an increase of more than 11 percent over 2013 – making it the best year ever for America’s leading machine tool builder. The company also built more than 14,000 units in 2014 – a 22 percent increase over 2013, and an all-time record – further reinforcing Haas Automation’s position as a global leader in the CNC machine tool industry.

Sales of Haas CNC machine tools were strong throughout 2014, with a number of records set in the 3rd and 4th quarters. September was the 2nd-best sales month ever for Haas, thanks in part to a very successful IMTS. And October yielded records for machine tool production and sales, with more than 1400 machines built and revenue exceeding $100 million. Third-quarter revenues also set a company record, only to be surpassed by record revenues in the 4th quarter.

The total number of Haas machines sold during 2014 topped 13,000 units – an increase of more than 9 percent over 2013. The company also shipped more than 14,000 units worldwide during the year – a 21 percent increase over 2013 – with 53 percent going to international markets.

“It was an incredible year,” stated Haas General Manager Bob Murray, “our best year ever. And we owe a lot to our international customers. We will continue investing in our growing international markets to ensure that all Haas customers receive the high-quality products and world-class service they deserve.”

Haas products are built in the company’s 1-million-square-foot manufacturing facility in Southern California. They are distributed worldwide through a global network of Haas Factory Outlets (HFOs) that provide the industry’s best sales, service and support. Currently, there are more than 170 HFOs in more than 50 countries worldwide, with more planned for the future.

“Our growing HFO network allows us to provide Haas customers around the world with local access to Haas products, sales assistance, replacement parts, and factory-trained service personnel,” continued Mr. Murray. “This commitment to serving our customers is one of the driving forces behind Haas Automation’s global success.”

Courtesy: Haas Automation, Inc

Italian firm Vamec is a market-leading designer and manufacturer of carburetors for racing kart teams. The company has grown as karting has evolved from a pastime for weekend hobbyists into a globally competitive motor racing formula. During that evolution, Vamec has improved and expanded its range of products, in spite of owning some ‘challenging’ production equipment. Things are looking up, however. Lately, the company has invested in Haas CNC machine tools, including a UMC-750 universal machining center, and is benefitting from new levels of speed, accuracy and efficiency.

Vamec srl is based near Bologna in a region famed for its motorsport heritage. The city of Modena, the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari and home to Maserati and Lamborghini, is just up the road, while the legendary Imola F1 circuit and the Torro Rosso F1 team are both neighbors.

The Vamec office walls are adorned with photos of young karting stars – one time customers of the firm, who went on to become World Championship winning F1 drivers, including Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna no less.

Racing is in the blood at Vamec. In his day, founder Vincenzo Vannini was a passionate kart competitor who first took to the track in 1968. After subsequently becoming a preparer and mechanic for various international teams, he established Vamec in 1994 with the intention of manufacturing purpose-designed components for a sport that had previously relied on non-specific parts such as those found on motorcycles, tractors and lawnmowers.

Some 20 years later, with Vincenzo’s sons Matteo and Fabio running the workshop and business administration functions respectively, Vamec has become a world leader in the development and manufacture of components, accessories and equipment designed specifically for competition. Its Tryton carburetor series, for example, is used by both national and international kart racing teams.

In recent years, the sport of karting has moved up several gears to become as competitive and professional as the upper echelons of motor racing to which its drivers aspire. The potential rewards for talented young drivers who reach F1 are there for all to see. It’s a shot at fame and riches in which many are prepared to invest heavily.

Vamec has also invested with the sport, purchasing numerous CNC machine tools and adding components to its catalogue, including various engine and chassis parts, pit stands, jigs and tools, which are supplied to teams and individual racers all over the world. More recently, the company also made engine parts for Moto 3 motorcycle racing, and has even remade parts for a collectable Ferrari F1 car owned by a Californian enthusiast.

Vamec’s goal, according to its founder, is to be as close to the customer as possible. This approach is an insider’s strategy, after all, Vincenzo knows what it’s like to race and to run a team – he understands how valuable good support can be. “There are lots of companies that make and sell standard, replacement parts, but we want to develop our relationship so we can support customers as much as possible,” he says.

For many years, Vamec bought well-known, far-eastern CNC machine tools, until in 2013 Vincenzo placed an order for the newly launched Haas UMC-750 universal machining center. “We couldn’t believe the value offered by the UMC,” he says. “We’d heard very

good things about Haas machines, so we placed an order even though we knew the machine had only just been launched and the delivery date was quite a way off.”

In the meantime, Vamec looked at other Haas machines to see if they also offered similar value and performance. The company quickly decided to invest in a VF-2SS super speed vertical machining center, mostly for one-off, three-axis work. “All of our other machines were busy, so we needed another,” says Matteo. “Again, the price and claimed performance of the VF-2SS were very attractive. As soon as it was installed we moved one or two jobs from the adjacent Japanese machine. We had to make some very minor modifications to the program so it would run on the Haas control, but that was straightforward. The first part we made, well, we just couldn’t believe it! The Haas did the job better than a machine that cost a lot more. The surface finish was better and the cycle times were shorter.”

A little later, in July 2013, the company took delivery of its UMC-750, and soon, Matteo says, the machine was making 70-80 different parts, mostly one-offs.

“Thinking in five axes was new to me,” he recalls, “so I took it slowly to start with. It’s not that the machine is difficult to use – on the contrary, the control is the same as the VF-2SS, so it was immediately familiar. It’s the CADCAM part of the process that is different and took a little longer to understand. Of course, our need for accuracy and capability will only increase over time, but we are in a very good position now that we have access to an affordable, very good machine like the UMC.”

Despite Vamec’s successful efforts at diversification, karting will for the time being remain its core business. The company has an impressive roster of 250 clients worldwide, with countries such as the USA and Brazil providing more recent opportunities to grow its business.

“Karting has gone from being a low cost, amateur sport to being technology led and very well financed,” says Matteo. “It’s certainly not the industry my dad started in, all those years back.” Indeed, it’s not even the industry in which the likes of Senna and Schumacher began their careers. Today karting is regulated by the FIA, which means new products must be homologated. Of course, this adds cost, just like US medical companies making products under the watchful eye of the FDA, for example.

“Fortunately, Haas machines give us the technology to do what we want to do, quickly and cost effectively,” concludes Matteo. “Furthermore, there’s no need to lease the machines or get a big loan from the bank; they’re affordable and reliable.”

Matteo may have studied electronics, but he has steadily nurtured his passion for mechanics; the latest Vamec carburetor is all his own design. He’s self-taught and a good example of how ingenious, hard-working individuals can be vital to the health and success of an industrial nation’s economy, providing they have access to the right technology.

Italy has a long and distinguished heritage in motor racing and high-performance road cars, which began with passionate and talented individuals. With Haas CNC machine tools in their workshops, the latest generation, like Matteo and Fabio Vannini, could ensure the country’s motorsport industry also has a long and distinguished future.

IMTS is the largest and longest-running machine tool show in the United States, and this year’s show was a huge success. The 6-day event at Chicago’s McCormick Place drew 114,147 attendees from 112 countries to see the latest manufacturing technology – an increase of 14% over IMTS 2012. According to AMT (The Association For Manufacturing Technology), which owns and manages the show, it was “the fourth largest IMTS in history, and the largest 6-day show ever.”

“There was a universal vibe during the show among exhibitors, visitors, and even students, that manufacturing is now THE place to be,” said Peter Eelman, AMT Vice President – Exhibitions and Communications. “Even more exciting to exhibitors was the fact that customers came with buying intentions, and a confidence that has not been seen in the manufacturing industry in many years.”

The excitement was clearly evident in the Haas Automation booth, which had 18 machines on display in 10,000-square-feet of space, including the UMC-750SS high-speed universal machining center, the ST-55 large-through-bore lathe, and the DM-1 Drill/Mill Center.

“Booth activity was very strong throughout the six show days,” said Trade Show Manager Joel Weiss, “and IMTS 2014 had the strongest lead count ever for a Haas booth. Haas staff and HFO personnel logged 4110 sales leads during the show – a 34% increase over IMTS 2012.” Among those leads were visitors from all 50 states, and more than 40 countries, including Canada, Mexico, China, India, Russia, Germany, and nearly every Latin American country.

And visitors to the Haas booth were doing more than just looking. “We took orders for more than 100 machines,” said Scott Gasich, Haas Sales Manager. “Sales continue to roll in after the show, and many more are expected over the next few months.

“IMTS was a great success for us,” Gasich added. “We had the most leads ever for this show, and customers were indicating strong activity for the remainder of 2014. Our new products were very well received, especially the DM-1 and TRT100. We are thrilled to continue supplying innovative, high-value machines that meet the needs of our customers.”

Also successful at the show was the Smartforce Student Summit, which drew 17,767 elementary, middle school, and high school students this year – nearly double the number of students at IMTS 2012. “A major concern among manufacturers,” said AMT’s Eelman, “is building a community of workers to fill their needs now and in the future. At IMTS, this was addressed beyond all expectations by the Smartforce Student Summit, which captured the imagination of young people with the truly innovative technologies on display.”

Both the Haas Technical Education Center Network and Gene Haas Foundation were actively involved in the Student Summit, with displays and information designed to entice students to pursue careers in manufacturing.

In addition, during a special program for Chicago-area school superintendents, the Gene Haas Foundation announced $50,000 in scholarships to be awarded to high school seniors pursuing a degree in a post-secondary machining, manufacturing technology, or engineering program whose curriculum includes CNC machine technology training. A $1,000 grant per school will be awarded, and seniors graduating from high school this school year are eligible.

Just to make sure everyone at IMTS – attendees and exhibitors alike – knew that Haas was “in the house,” the company inundated the convention center, as well as the adjoining Hyatt hotel, with innovative Haas marketing materials – hotel key cards, show bags, laminated table tops, soda and coffee cups, and napkins – sporting the Haas logo, and emblazoned with the Haas booth number. Nothing like a little guerilla marketing to build brand awareness!

Image and content courtesy: Haas Automation, Inc.

Haas F1 Team, which will make its debut in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in 2016, has selected Scuderia Ferrari as its technical partner. Scuderia Ferrari, the most successful team in the history of Formula One with 16 constructors titles and 15 driver championships, will provide Haas F1 Team its power unit, gearbox and overall technical support. The multi year agreement forms a strong collaboration between the two organizations that will allow Haas F1 Team to be competitive in its inaugural season and in the years following.

“There is no team in Formula One more accomplished than Scuderia Ferrari, and no team with more history. They’ve been a part of Formula One from the beginning, and now they’ll be a part of Haas F1 Team’s beginning,” said Haas F1 Team Chairman Gene Haas. “Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsports. It showcases the latest technology and is the most competitive form of racing in the world. Aligning Haas F1 Team with such a tenured and successful company in Scuderia Ferrari provides our team with the greatest opportunity for success in 2016 and beyond.”

“We’re delighted to announce this important strategic partnership with Haas F1 Team and to welcome an American player as a new entrant in Formula 1,” said Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Marco Mattiacci. “A few months ago we joined forces with Gene Haas on a commercial level and this is the natural next step of our growing relationship. While our objective is to reinforce our power unit development program for all our customer teams, we believe this new partnership has the potential to evolve beyond the traditional role of supplying our power unit and all related technical services. The United States continues to be one of the most important markets for Ferrari and it offers many interesting opportunities. We look forward to supporting Haas F1 Team in its efforts to become a competitive player on the Formula 1 grid.”

The power unit consists of the engine, the motor generator unit-kinetic (MGU-K), the motor generator unit-heat (MGU-H), the energy store (ES), turbocharger (TC) and control electronics (CE). The gearbox, or transmission, has eight forward gears, which are operated by the driver via paddles affixed to the back of the steering wheel.

“These are exciting times for everyone at Haas F1 Team and we are honored to have a partner in Scuderia Ferrari supporting our efforts,” said Haas F1 Team Principal Guenther Steiner. “When it comes to Formula One, no one matches Scuderia Ferrari’s knowledge, technical expertise and sheer determination. We understand there is some heavy lifting ahead of us, but know that with their technical support, we will develop a team of talented people at an exceptional pace so that we’re ready to race competitively in 2016. We are focused on the future and look forward to what’s ahead for Haas F1 Team.”

About Haas F1 Team:
Haas F1 Team will debut in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in 2016, where it will become the first American-led F1 team since 1986. Founded by industrialist Gene Haas, Haas F1 Team is based in the United States on the same Kannapolis, North Carolina campus as his championship-winning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team, Stewart-Haas Racing. Haas is the founder of Haas Automation, the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America, and he is chairman of Haas F1 Team.