Due to the nature of the electronics business FAST™ has always been on the cutting edge of innovation, so the idea of going into the intake manifold business seemed to fit. And in the end, what resulted from the monumental gamble was a grand slam with the creation of the LSX™ Intake Manifold. This groundbreaking intake took the market by storm and raised the science and technology of intake manifold creation to an unprecedented level.
Not satisfied with the status quo, several years after the original LSX™ intake was released, FAST™ undertook a redesign of the popular manifold and with the use of new technological developments and manufacturing methods they set the standard even higher. There are now two new designs, the LSXR™ and LSXRT™, both of which took an enormous investment by FAST™ to bring to the market. The investment of well over a $1 million and the numerous resources it took to develop and manufacture these new designs was yet another big risk. But once again, the risk was worth taking because the new and revolutionary design features put FAST™ on track for another homerun in intake manifold design and manufacturing.
To understand what it takes to market a complex product like the LSXR™, the LSXRT™ or even the original LSX™, we spoke with Brian Reese, VP of Engineering & Business Development for the COMP Performance Group™, including FAST™. Reese provided the story of what was involved in getting these new products off the drawing board and into production.
Off the Ground and to the Market
“The decision to make a polymer (composite plastic) intake manifold for LS engines in 2002 was a substantial risk for us. We had never manufactured manifolds before, much less in a composite material, but we took the challenge and came up with an innovative design called the LSX™. FAST™ assumed the risk, and it proved to be a homerun. However, making it and bringing it to market were even more challenging than the initial design process for a number of reasons.
“The major reasons being, one, it was expensive from a tooling and engineering point of view. Two, it was very difficult to accomplish because polymer is not like casting aluminum where you can get dozens of people that are already in the business of making aluminum parts. Three, making an intake manifold that bolts on and makes power without losing torque was quite the challenge.
“The manifold itself, the shape of the thing, was difficult from the point of view of making the material work, whether it was plastic, aluminum, sheet metal or anything else. The decision to use plastic was made because of the extremely complex shapes we wanted to use in our design. It’s just not possible to produce that particular design from anything but plastic; so the choice was clear. Plastic is actually a very sensible fit, considering the fact that original equipment LS engines have always come with plastic intake manifolds from the factory; therefore market perception wasn’t a concern.
“The original LSX™ project required an initial investment of more than $750,000, along with hundreds of man-hours to get it off the ground. We knew it was a risk, but we also knew that we had a great design. There were no guarantees that it would be accepted, and we didn’t know if the initial sales would produce the results we needed. But in the end, the results were good. The LSX™ was a success, and it broke new ground for design innovation and performance.
“As it turned out, the success of the LSX™ gave us a platform on which we continued to build. Using its fundamentals, in 2009 we went to work on a totally redesigned set of intake manifolds – the new LSXR™ and LSXRT™ designs. The LSXR™ is available in three versions – one for raised rectangle port LS7 engines, another for rectangle port LS3/L76/L92/L99 engines and one for cathedral port LS1/LS2/LS6 car applications. The LSXRT™ was designed for use in late model GM 4.8/5.3/6.0L cathedral port truck engines and all LS1/LS2/LS6 based engines. That was no small task, especially when you consider fitment and compliance with all LS vehicles spanning from 1997 through 2011.
“Each design contains significant new features and new performance gains. With the emergence of these new designs, we found ourselves back in the business of taking risks, both in money and manpower. Except this time we knew some things that we didn’t know when the LSX™ was originally produced.
“This time we had a proven design foundation, and we brought all of the high-tech applications possible into the process to make the new designs happen. That does not in any way diminish the fact that the magnitude of the LSXR™ and LSXRT™ project was huge. Again, in terms of time and money, the process required a great deal of resources. At the end of the day, the investment in these new versions has required an excess of $1.5 million and untold engineering time.
“From a method standpoint, we utilized state-of-the-art 3D modeling, CFD and engine modeling to develop the new units. From there, we were able to use an advanced rapid prototype system to produce units for analysis. As prototypes were made, each one was subjected to in-depth analysis, both in our own R&D facility and outside testing. These outside tests were performed at some of the most respected facilities in the industry, including Wegner Engines in Wisconsin, School of Automotive Machinists in Texas, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering in Indiana, and Katech Inc. in Michigan. Each of these facilities provided vital information on the performance of the new designs that were taken into consideration for final production.
“Once we arrived at the final designs, we moved into production, which is yet another complex process. But stated simply, it’s a process that uses our proprietary polymer material, and through an injection mold process, the units are produced. And in the end, we have the most advanced LS intake manifolds in the marketplace.
“This latest family of LS intake manifolds represents the finest and most sophisticated unit ever made. Both the LSXR™ and LSXRT™ are the culmination of huge investments of time, talent, money and technology that have produced unprecedented innovation and performance like no other unit on the market. Nothing even comes close.”
For more information on the LSXR™ and LSXRT™ Intake Manifolds or any other product from FAST™, visit call us at 1-877-334-8355, or visit us online at www.fuelairspark.com.
Additional Resources:
FAST™ LSXR™ Manifold Q&A
FAST™ LSXR™ Intake Selector
FAST™ Product Support Forum