Carbon fibre and fuel economy

Ferrari has continued to invest heavily in planning and developing new models that will combine powerful engine with well-designed body. The company, which has been planning to launch its first hybrid model in its history in the near future, recently showcased its new composite chassis derived directly from Formula 1 technologies. Ferrari has been working with composites for single-seaters for its new model which will be produced in a limited-edition, special series. The chassis uses four types of carbon fibre and is hand-laminated then cured in autoclaves following engineering processes that enables the integration of different components. The main structure is made from T800 carbon with local, strategic applications of T800UD, a unidirectional carbon fibre tape, for reinforcement. To ensure reduced weight, the structural underbody and the cross-member are made from another type of particularly high-tensile strength carbon fibre known as M46J. For critical parts such as doors, the sturdy T1000 was used for its efficient ability to absorb impact, thus it is used in the nose-cone of the single-seaters. Carbon fibre is combined with Kevlar? for the undertray to prevent damage from debris thrown up from the road.

The dominant material
Although it may be early to tell the materials that are likely to gain wider acceptance in automobile manufacturing, another company, Ford, has used carbon fibre in certain niche applications. Carbon fibre offers a very high strength-to-weight ratio. It is up to five times as strong as steel, twice as stiff, and one-third the weight. Advanced materials such as carbon fibre are key to Ford's plans to reduce the weight of its cars by up to 340kg by the end of the decade.

The company has been collaborating with Dow Automotive Systems to develop lower-cost carbon fibre composites for mass production. It estimated that 750-pound weight reductions were possible. In the war against vehicle weight, Ford has developed a prototype carbon fibre hood that weighs 50% less than a steel hood and would help lower fuel consumption.

The carbon fibre reinforced plastic Ford Focus bonnet showcased at the Composites Europe event is constructed from the super-strong material usually associated with bespoke racing vehicles or high-performance sports cars. The prototype bonnet weighs more than 50% less than a standard steel version. This progress was made possible through research conducted at the Ford European Research Centre, where studies were done to determine if the production time for an individual carbon fibre bonnet is fast enough to be employed on a production line, an important step forward towards increased application of lightweight materials in Ford vehicles. The involvement of Ford European Research Centre in the Hightech.NRW research project forms part of the car manufacturer's partnership with Dow Automotive Systems to investigate new materials, design processes and manufacturing techniques.

Ford has partnered with experts from the Institute of Automotive Engineering at RWTH Aachen University, Henkel, Evonik, IKV (Institute of Plastics Processing), Composite Impulse and Toho Tenax for the course of the NRW research project. Funded by the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the project started in 2010 up to September 2013. The group already made significant strides in developing effective method to manufacture carbon fibre composites for body panel applications that can be incorporated into existing vehicle production processes.