BMW wants to do more than just create another carbon-fibre supercar. It is out to create a new infrastructure for carbon-fibre auto manufacturing covering everything from the material to the final product, and in the process open the door for wider use of the material. “Our goal is to bring down the cost of carbon fibre to be competitive with aluminummanaging directorAutomotive Carbon Fibres, the joint venture between BMW and material supplier
To do that, the firms must establish a reliable material stream as well as take advantage of BMW’s in-house resin transfer moulding to make everything from structural beams to body panels, during the Center for Automotive Research’s Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City.
All that work is for more than just technical reports. BMW, based in Munich, will use carbon fibre throughout its upcoming i3 passenger car — previously designated the Megacity vehicle — which will go into production in 2013 and on the i8 sports car, scheduled to launch a year later.
The carmaker just unveiled the concept vehicles in late July. Carbon fibre is key for production of both cars, which will run off electric engines from energy stored in on-board batteries. Lighter weight helps to offset the batteries’ weight while also allowing BMW to get more miles out of every charge.
BMW estimates the composite will trim 250-350 kilograms off of conventional materials.
But at the same time, using carbon fibre creates a whole new set of supply and production requirements, Pohlman noted.
The company has spent more than 10 years improving the production side of the equation, creating proprietary processing at its Landshut, Germany, plant to create quality carbon-fibre parts at faster speeds. It is now doing carbon fibre at cycle times of less than 10 minutes
Landshut’s plastics facilities also make the carbon-fibre roof on the current M3 coupe. The i3 will place even higher demands for parts, from the moment it goes into production.
BMW’s initial assembly plans will require about 6.6 million pounds of carbon fibre, which is about half the supply of the carbon fibre market in 2009,Just one year’s production of the i3 will take in more than 1 million parts. The company will use industrial-grade carbon fibre in the RTM components for the i3 car, rather than the higher grades used in aerospace and Formula 1 race cars. As the firm pondered where it could secure a steady source of its raw material, it contacted carbon-fibre supplier
Germany. The two firms quickly formed Automotive Carbon Fibres, the venture that Pohlman now works for, to oversee processing throughout the production chain, from raw material in Otake, Japan, to carbon-fibre manufacturing in Moses Lake, Wash., and final material preparation in Germany.
“Industrialising this process is very, very difficult and very, very challenging,
The more the auto industry invests in composites to cut weight and improve fuel economy in traditional internal combustion engines — or offset battery weight in electrics and hybrids — the more important it will be to understand and ramp up manufacturing.
To do that, the firms must establish a reliable material stream as well as take advantage of BMW’s in-house resin transfer moulding to make everything from structural beams to body panels, during the Center for Automotive Research’s Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City.
All that work is for more than just technical reports. BMW, based in Munich, will use carbon fibre throughout its upcoming i3 passenger car — previously designated the Megacity vehicle — which will go into production in 2013 and on the i8 sports car, scheduled to launch a year later.
The carmaker just unveiled the concept vehicles in late July. Carbon fibre is key for production of both cars, which will run off electric engines from energy stored in on-board batteries. Lighter weight helps to offset the batteries’ weight while also allowing BMW to get more miles out of every charge.
BMW estimates the composite will trim 250-350 kilograms off of conventional materials.
But at the same time, using carbon fibre creates a whole new set of supply and production requirements, Pohlman noted.
The company has spent more than 10 years improving the production side of the equation, creating proprietary processing at its Landshut, Germany, plant to create quality carbon-fibre parts at faster speeds. It is now doing carbon fibre at cycle times of less than 10 minutes
Landshut’s plastics facilities also make the carbon-fibre roof on the current M3 coupe. The i3 will place even higher demands for parts, from the moment it goes into production.
BMW’s initial assembly plans will require about 6.6 million pounds of carbon fibre, which is about half the supply of the carbon fibre market in 2009,Just one year’s production of the i3 will take in more than 1 million parts. The company will use industrial-grade carbon fibre in the RTM components for the i3 car, rather than the higher grades used in aerospace and Formula 1 race cars. As the firm pondered where it could secure a steady source of its raw material, it contacted carbon-fibre supplier
Germany. The two firms quickly formed Automotive Carbon Fibres, the venture that Pohlman now works for, to oversee processing throughout the production chain, from raw material in Otake, Japan, to carbon-fibre manufacturing in Moses Lake, Wash., and final material preparation in Germany.
“Industrialising this process is very, very difficult and very, very challenging,
The more the auto industry invests in composites to cut weight and improve fuel economy in traditional internal combustion engines — or offset battery weight in electrics and hybrids — the more important it will be to understand and ramp up manufacturing.
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