Universal CMM Could Help Renault F1 Team Regain Pole Position

Unterentfelden/Switzerland - March 7, 2005 - The world-renowned Mild Seven Renault F1 Team says a revolutionary new precision measurement system from Leica Geosystems played a key role in final tests for its new R25 race vehicle. The R25, which was unveiled in Monaco on February 1st, is at the heart of Renault's plans to challenge rivals Ferrari for the 2005-2006 World Championship title.

Micky Nolan, Renault F1 Team's Wind Tunnel Facility Manager, says final tests were carried out using the Universal CMM from Leica Geosystems – the world's first fully mobile high-precision Coordinate Measuring System. Says Nolan: "In the high demand environment of F1 wind tunnel testing, this system provides the Renault F1 Team with a cutting edge tool for improvements in efficiency and accuracy. Conscious of the need for continuing improvements, the Leica Laser Tracker initial investment will reduce our set-up times by 55%, enabling increased efficiency and precise repeatability."

Nolan says the Leica equipment used for wind tunnel testing – a LTD 800 Laser Tracker plus the wireless, ultra-light T-Probe – enables precise measurements to be made in the minimum possible time.

Huge time and cost savings
He adds: "With commonality of CAD packages and real time CAD comparisons, our engineers can measure and verify any part in any geometrical position around our model. The Leica measurement system was the only one on the market that fulfilled the Renault F1 Team's search criteria. The Leica Laser Tracker offers the Renault F1 Team an all-in-one solution."

Renault F1 Team purchased two separate LTD 800 Laser Trackers, each with integrated T-Probe and Metrolog XG for Leica software – one system is to help set up the car in the wind tunnel test facility, the other is used primarily to measure larger components and complete Legality Check on the finished vehicle.

Leica technical sales engineer Steve Shickell, says: "All F1 racing teams have secret designs, which hopefully makes their car quicker than the competition. These design subtleties are tested in the wind tunnel, hence the T-Probe requirement. By using the Leica system to measure the first R25 vehicle, the Renault F1 Team is able to measure everything on the car in a single set up and every minute the team saves installing the model, is extra time for performance development."

Product details

• The T-Probe and T-Scan represent the world's first complete 'Walk-Around CMM', offering an unprecedented combination of precision, speed and flexibility in the most demanding industrial environments.
  
• The wireless ultra-light T-Probe, which is shock-resistant and insensitive to temperature changes, can be used for hand-held rapid measurements of small and large objects within a 30m volume.
  
• The T-Scan is insensitive to all surface types and thus does not need surface preparation. It can be used for rapid non-contact digitisation of large objects.
  
• Metrolog XG for Leica is Leica's standard 3D measurement software for the reporting of dimensional information against a CAD design model.

About Renault F1 Team

Drawing upon Renault's rich tradition in top-line motor sport, which includes victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours, and six consecutive constructors' world titles as an F1 engine supplier in the 1990s, the Renault F1 Team exists with a singular purpose: to win the Formula 1 World Championship. The team is composed of two central technical hubs, a chassis team based in Oxfordshire, England, and the engine development team based near Paris, France. Together, this group of over 700 people forms one of the leading teams in modern Formula 1, the most demanding discipline in world motor sports. The team competes in every round of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, represented by Spaniard Fernando Alonso and Italian Giancarlo Fisichella. The team finished third in the 2004 World Championship, and enters the 2005 season with even greater ambitions

About Leica Geosystems

Leica Geosystems is an internationally leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of solutions that capture, visualize and process 3-dimensional data using the most advanced technologies in the marketplace. Leica Geosystems holds the foremost position in the world market in several high technology sectors. The company has representatives in over 100 countries worldwide. The firm's corporate headquarters are located in Switzerland. Leica Geosystems registered shares (LGSN-SWX) are quoted on the SWX Swiss Exchange in Zurich.

About the Metrology Division of Leica Geosystems

The Metrology Division of Leica Geosystems is a global supplier of comprehensive hardware and software packages to the industrial metrology market. These products integrate with popular CAD programs, various build-and-inspect tools, and reverse engineering software. Using state-of-the-art laser technology, Leica's industrial measurement products make quality control, part mating, assembly and construction of large and small parts easier and more accurate than ever. Leica's laser tracker technology is most widely used, with over 1400 installations worldwide. In addition there are about 1500 Industrial Theodolite Systems in use which customers confirm the most accurate in their category.