Ford developing carbon fibre technology for mass production

The use of carbon fibre body panels and even the rather expensive carbon fibre chassis has become a common practice in motor racing. The reason behind the use of carbon fibre in motorsport is its strong and light weight properties that allow car makers to make their cars lighter, faster and safer. 

Most developments from motorsport are used in road-going cars to make them safer, better to drive, more efficient and faster. And quite a few expensive road-going supercars and hypercars feature carbon fibre components. 

However, carbon fibre has not made it to mass production cars yet due to its expensive nature and complex weaving process

Now, Ford is all set to bring carbon fibre in to mass production cars with its carbon fibre bonnet that is to be employed on the production line. 

The prototype bonnet developed at the Ford Research Centre is 50 per cent lighter than a standard bonnet. According to Ford the production process for the carbon fibre bonnet is fast enough to be implemented on a production line. Which means Ford  cars of the future will be considerably lighter and it can be applied to other body panels as well to further cut the kerb weight of vehicles by up to 340kg by the end of the decade.

Ford has partnered with specialists from the Institute of Automotive Engineering at RWTH Aachen University, Henkel, Evonik, IKV (Institute of Plastics Processing), Composite Impulse and Toho Tenax for the Hightech, North Rhine Westphalia research project. The project began in 2010 and is funded by the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is expected to continue till 2013. 

Ford also partnered with Dow Automotive Systems to investigate new materials, design processes and manufacturing techniques as well as to establish an economical source of automotive grade carbon fibre and high volume manufacturing processes.  

Once carbon fibre is successfully used the light weight will allow vehicles to achieve very high fuel efficiency due to less weight while the rigid body shell will better drive dynamics and enhance crash worthiness 

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

Ford has paved the way forward with their EcoBoost petrol engine, proving that engines can develop more power with less while maintaining high fuel efficiency. And its project for implementing carbon fibre in mass production cars will indeed further their efforts for cleaner motoring while keeping the fun-to-drive factor intact.