THE MULTI-ADJUSTABLE PEDALS BY IPK

Max Bernardi

19 January 2020

Safety, comfort and functionality without sacrificing aesthetics. These are the main features of the new adjustable pedals made by IPK, the manufacturer of Praga Karts, Formula K, OK1 and the RS chassis. Let us discover all the benefits and the many adjustment possibilities which improve the driving abilities.

DESIGN

When a company like IPK decides to modify or produce a new accessory, the first input almost always comes from the need expressed by the official Racing Teams to improve a situation experienced during the race weekends. In the case of the pedals, the need expressed was to quickly adapt the Minikart chassis to the smaller drivers through a pedal that would allow a greater number of adjustments. The process, at this point, provides that after a comparison with the racing team, the technical office develops a first CAD drawing of the accessory in 2D and 3D. Then, once the maximum measurements and the technical specifications have been confirmed, the next step is the implementation of the real prototype which, at IPK takes place through the use of a 3D printer. Once the first samples have been checked and the necessary modifications made, the next phase is the prototyping carried out with C.N.C. machines.

The pedal prototype realized through the use of a 3D printer

OBTAINED FROM A SOLID BLOCK

The new IPK adjustable pedal is made of 7075 aluminum alloy (Ergal), an aluminum alloy used mainly in the aeronautical field. This material is described by being the lightest aluminum alloy and, from a mechanical point of view, more resistant to impacts, stresses, weight and torsion. It is also the aluminum alloy that is less subject to thermal expansion and, therefore, more suitable for use in outdoor environments as it better withstands temperature variations. In short, a material which guarantees safety and quality. The processing, as for all IPK accessories, is obtained from a solid block of material with numerically controlled machines. In particular, in the manufacturing of the pedals, two types of C.N.C. are used. The first one deals with the milling of the pedal body, while the second (the latest generation automatic lathe) produces the screws made to measure for the accessory. At IPK, a strong supporter of a corporate philosophy that wants all accessories to be machined from solid blocks of metal and cared for in the smallest details, all this processing takes place in-house.