All Composites articles – Page 3

  • Ultima-Volkswagen ID3-BI-flash-4
    Article

    Stricter EU CO2 regulations will reshape vehicle platforms and car design

    2019-10-04T11:20:00Z

    As OEMs try to reduce CO2 and transition to electric vehicles in the face of the high fines, we expect a profound impact on vehicle design.

  • BMWiNext
    Article

    Carbon composite footprint

    2019-09-16T15:01:00Z

    EV development has made lightweighting vehicle structures a priority. James Bakewell reports on the increased role for carbon fibre-reinforced plastics

  • BMW Spartanburg
    Article

    Conference: Insight @ BMW

    2019-06-24T11:18:00Z

    For its latest North American car body engineering Insight conference, the Automotive Circle heads to upstate South Carolina – a region that’s home to the largest plant in the BMW manufacturing network…

  • Fronius_PW_19-03_ANFRAGE_ams_advanced high strength steel_04
    Article

    Strong bonds

    2019-05-28T14:29:00Z

    James Bakewell looks at the challenges of joining new grades of advanced and ultra-high strength steels in the latest multi-material vehicle structures

  • Profil Earthing stud pic 2
    Article

    Show and tell

    2019-01-08T12:22:00Z

    Cost savings and reduced installation time are the result of Profil’s self-piercing stud, as visitors discovered at the NEAA Expo 2018A new earthing stud is allowing automotive global OEMs to achieve the triple benefits of reduced installation time and cost, guaranteed electrical earthing and a substantial reduction in parts count: ...

  • PPG Ferrari
    Article

    Cool paint for hot cars

    2018-11-27T17:18:00Z

    Ferrari is renowned for the high quality paint finish on its supercars. So creating a workable paint formulation that would cure at much lower temperatures without compromising these exacting standard would be a challenge. PPG’s Technical director, William Brunat, discusses the project with Nick Holt The project with Ferrari was ...

  • Audi_crossbrace copy
    Article

    A focus on fibres

    2018-11-27T15:21:00Z

    Lightweight, high-strength benefits are being offset by materials and process costs. James Bakewell looks at the challenges of making carbon fibre cost effective Used for the first time in earnest by Volvo, carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) will feature in the £135,000 ($176,400) Polestar 1’s bonnet, boot lid, side panels, doors ...

  • BMW Dingolfing
    Article

    Sticking together

    2018-11-27T15:07:00Z

    The use of a wide variety of materials throws-up significant production challenges and chief among those is joining. How can this plethora of materials be fixed together without affecting their structural integrity or their individual characteristics? The automotive industry is mostly set-up for resistance spot welding (RSW). This method has ...

  • Screen Shot 2018-11-19 at 14.25.21
    Article

    Power from plastics

    2018-11-11T14:34:00Z

    James Bakewell speaks to thermoset plastics specialists Pieter Vanderstraeten and Hendrik De Keyser about the increasing scope for composite powertrain components While the use of advanced composites in structural applications has hogged the limelight in recent years, these lightweight materials also have many advantages for the manufacture of components for ...

  • Williams platform
    Article

    Grid reference

    2018-10-22T14:28:10Z

    Mike Farish visits Williams Advanced Engineering to see how the company delivers a distinctive F1 take on an innovative electric vehicle platformOne of the implications of the growth of the market for electric vehicles is the opportunity it provides for newcomers possibly to become major players in the automotive industry ...

  • Alicona µCMM
    Article

    3D focus-variation measuring instrument

    2018-09-25T17:47:55Z

    Said to be suited to production measurement, the µCMM 3D focus-variation system offers users the advantages of tactile coordinate measuring technology with optical surface measurement to measure dimensions, position, shape and surface finish of components with the one optical sensor, claims Alicona.The company says it provides the ability to measure ...

  • Article

    Guiding lights for a smarter paintshop

    2018-08-28T11:34:47Z

    System experts at Dürr have developed a digital maintenance assistant designed to keep automotive paintshops in full effect With its digital@Dürr concept, Dürr is delivering an important smart factory module. In future, the company will be supporting customers in maintaining painting and sealing robots using a digital maintenance assistant. With ...

  • Continental Structural Plastics
    Article

    CSP invests in sheet molding

    2018-07-31T11:44:52Z

    France - Continental Structural Plastics (CSP) has announced that it will install a new sheet molding compound (SMC) line at its facility in Pouance. Costing a total of €5.1m (US$6m), the line will allow the supplier to expand its range of advanced composite products made with both glass and carbon ...

  • Machine setter Darren Evans maintains the wiper action created using the tool with Citizen’s LFV technology creates a superior surface finish
    Article

    The problem with plastic

    2018-07-26T16:41:00Z

    With automotive manufacturers looking at ever increasing levels of plastic-based materials content, Steed Webzell examines the challenges for machine shops Recent research suggests that by 2020 the average car will incorporate 350kg of plastic-based materials. As a result, the need for efficient and economic machining methods for plastics has ...

  • Transit production at Golcuk
    Article

    Collective thinking

    2018-07-05T14:57:00Z

    Closer collaboration between product development and production teams could lead to significant improvements in vehicle manufacturing processes. Ford Otosan holds a unique position. Michael Nash reports The scenery in Turkey is full of surprises. A quick car journey can lead to towering mountains, pristine beaches and lush forests, while historical ...

  • Comau Open Gate Alfa Romeo Cassino
    Article

    Robots on the rise

    2018-05-14T11:16:03Z

    Advances in robotics go hand in hand with new approaches to automotive manufacturing, writes Chris PickeringThe automotive industry is at a crossroads. Ahead lays the most radical shake-up in a generation, with disruptive trends such as electrification, autonomous driving and lightweight materials bringing opportunity and uncertainty in equal measure. It ...

  • BAC_Mono (002)
    Article

    The wonder material

    2018-05-14T11:14:00Z

    A number of composite automotive parts enhanced with graphene were on show at JEC World in March this year. James Bakewell investigates if this material has a real place in the automotive industryFew of us would imagine that you can win a Nobel Prize for Physics by playing with sticky ...

  • Audi Space Frame copy
    Article

    Zoltek expands carbon fibre plant

    2018-04-10T11:04:31Z

    Hungary - The company has announced that it is increasing carbon fibre production by 50% at its facility in Nyergesújfalu. As a result, the plant will have an annual capacity of 15,000 tons.The expansion will cost around US$130m, and will generate 350 additional jobs. According to Yoshihiro Takeuchi, CEO, COO ...

  • James Bakewell
    Article

    Weighing up the options

    2018-03-21T15:09:59Z

    Disruptive technology was high on the agenda at JEC World, the composites industry’s flagship event held every March in Paris, France.A sizable proportion of the 42,445 people who attended the show flocked to see Dirk Ahlborn, Chief Executive Officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), lay out his vision for the ...

  • Magna’s new Composites Center of Excellence in Esslingen, Germany, features a new Engel 2,300-metric-ton press
    Article

    Magna opens new composites facility

    2018-03-08T10:48:26Z

    Germany - The new Composites Center of Excellence will act as a base for the development of various vehicle structural components such as subframes, as well as exterior body parts like door panels and hoods. The idea is to identify production-ready lightweight solutions that will help vehicle manufacturers meet increasingly ...