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For sportscar manufacturers carbon becomes the life rescuer
30th July, 2007
Because the feather-easy miracle material helps to reduce weight and Spritverbrauch. Also in all world cars such as gulf or Astra the material would make itself good - nevertheless that will take still years.
For the future of the sports car Paul Mackenzie sees black. The friendly Britisher is not a full power critic in the 45-PS-Polo, but project manager for Mercedes the SLR with the British racing car rennwagenschmiede McLaren. The color of that material for Mackenzie, which can secure sports car the future, is black: Carbon. Gewoben from thousands and thousands hair-fine carbon fibers, with resins soaked and in enormous baking-ovens hardened, is it more easily and nevertheless more stably than most different with the construction of vehicles used materials.
With Premium bodies the black fibers are used ever more frequently: “Carbon has, related to which weight, four to five times better a power consumption says as conventional materials”, Mercedes developer Clemens barks. Therefore the SLR Roadster is ten per cent is easier nevertheless than a comparably motorized SL. “One would change over, could the construction of a vehicle with the change of generations completely to carbon one surely 20 per cent weight save - all the same whether with a sport or with a small car”, it pflichtet it Mackenzie.
Lightweight construction, but still is carbon much too expensively
All manufacturers know around the importance of the lightweight construction. “The production of a carbon vehicle is expressed complicated and lengthy nevertheless”, says Mackenzie. “Carbon is very time and arbeitsaufwändiger material”, says the manager and refers to the assembly of the Formel-1-Fahrzeuge. “There a team works the whole year around the clock and places at the end nevertheless only six cars on the wheels.”
The colleagues are not completely so slow in SLR production. “In addition, the manufacturing is appropriate only for two and a half cars per day” here, says Mackenzie. McLaren developed and Mercedes approximately for the production of the trunk lid a pressing, owing to which the production of carbon parts lasts hardly still longer than from steel elements. But other components with the Skalpell must be cut out and be modelled out up to 20 layers, before they are baked in autoclaves as mentioned with up to 150 degrees under high pressure as in the Schnellkochtopf. “Ten, twenty hours for a construction unit are thereby no rarity”, report Mackenzie. Therefore a A-class made of carbon would cost at least twice as much like a conventional - and would have nevertheless no chance on a quantity production: The necessary numbers of items are so far in the carbon manufacturing simply not possible.
Hope for a break-through with production
Nevertheless the production expert believes in a large future for the small fibers. “We will find ever more carbon fiber elements at the vehicles. Perhaps not completely as consistently as with the SLR, but beginning with attachments as spoilers, hoods or doors, the carbon portion will constantly grow”, believes Mackenzie and promises already for the near future clear progress with production.
For such progress also Porsche executive committee Wolfgang Dürheimer hopes. The development boss is convinced that one could save straight with carbon fiber still some in weight and increase so the efficiency. However need it for it above all innovative steps in the area of the process and finishing technique. “Our challenge consists of manufacturing carbon fiber parts within a short time in high numbers of items in order to come on a reasonable price level. That is at present not yet possible”, complains it.
Also BMW and Lamborghini use carbon parts
Which does not go generally speaking yet, folds with individual parts already completely well. Thus gets new BMW M3 in series a carbon roof, which nevertheless saves five Kilos weight in a place relevant for the vehicle emphasis and which for the manufacturing sets new yardsticks: Finally with BMW in one week more M3 are probably built than in Woking generally speaking year SLR.
Also the new Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera is an example for the increasing portion of the carbon fibers, says Lamborghini Entwicklungschef Maurizio Reggiani. Among other things because for this car spoilers, mirror housings and inside paneling from carbon fibers will gewoben, it is nevertheless 100 Kilos easier than the standard model - without it must do without heavy construction units as for instance the air conditioning system. “Who spends, does not want, says so much money also on the racing course not to sweat” Reggiani. “If we this way consistently continue to go and also somewhat at the engines to do, see I no reason for an end of the supersports cars.”
Url:
http://www.automobiledir.com/press
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