Quote:
Originally Posted by 1o.f00t.570rk
I think we need more forged composites, which are processed kinda like a hybrid between injection molding and forging.
http://www.carbonfibergear.com/what-...-carbon-fiber/
That would help reduce weight and it would be cheaper (in the long run) than doing the commonly seen laid-up sheets. It's also not as strong as the woven sheets, but it's not got the same directional weakness.
When we see stuff like this being used more often, we'll see radical drops in the weight, and in turn the requirements in power and displacement would also drop. |
We did something similar in the Z06 floor panel. We simply replaced the SMC sheet with a sheet of chopped CF. The Viper was using this as well. It essentially offers the mass savings over even SMC, but works in less structural applications. The long strands in traditional CF is really what gives it the strength.
Calling it "forged" may be a bit of a stretch. Forged is essentially impact forming where I think what is described is essentially still just a formed part, but likely press formed is a better description.
CF has 2 major drawbacks, one being cost of the material the other is cycle time. Some traditional CF parts need to be cured in a kiln with heat and pressure. And those are some long cycle times. So you are really limited to low volume runs, unless you can afford multiple toos which jacks up your investment cost and completely changes your business case. So it lends itself to low volume high priced vehicles like the Lambo and even the Z06.
There are a lot of companies working to address the issues with CF cost, but it remains significantly expensive even in the lower cost variants. I think in the future you'll see more widespread use, but for that to happen, you'll need a substantial technology leap to get the costs down.