|
|
Post Reply |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
02-23-2012, 09:06 AM | #1 |
Administrator
![]() 40311
Rep 21,232
Posts |
![]() ![]() Next 7 Series to be First Mainstream BMW Model with Carbon Fiber as a Key Material Gas prices are up, emission requirements have become more stringent, and vehicle weights have increased in the past years; which is not a good combination. Increased efficiency without sacrificing performance is the name of the automotive game going forward in the 21st century. A big step towards this goal is reducing the weight of vehicles. BMW says the answer is carbon fiber technology, which it believes will fundamentally change the car industry, becoming increasingly important in the quest for lighter-weight materials to reduce fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions. For that reason, the company started the joint venture with SGL Group to take the carbon fiber production process mass scale. Although we've seen carbon fiber roofs on some BMW M models, the upcoming BMW i3 and i8 electric and hybrid electric cars will be the first BMW cars featuring carbon fiber as a key construction material. The use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) will then flow down to future mainstream models, beginning with the next generation 7 series. According to BMW R&D chief Klaus Draeger, the next gen 7 series (due in 2015-2016) will be the first mainstream BMW model to utilize CFRP as a key construction material. The next 7 series' structure will probably be a mix of traditional materials (aluminum/steel) and CFRP, with the roof, hood, and trunk lid also possibly made from CFRP. SGL-BMW Carbon Fiber Manufacturing Process
Below are some past videos featuring BMW's carbon fiber manufacturing process, including some views into SGL-BMW's Moses Lake, Washington plant, among other plants involved in the process. BMW set out to create a new infrastructure for carbon-fiber auto manufacturing covering everything from the material to the final product, and in the process open the door for wider use of the material. The company's goal is to bring down the cost of carbon fiber to be competitive with aluminum, making it a viable and common material for widespread use in its cars. BMW i3 to Be World's First Volume-Produced Car with Passenger Cell Made from Carbon
BMW i3 will be the world's first volume-produced car with the passenger cell made from carbon fiber. |
02-23-2012, 11:48 AM | #2 |
Major
![]() 156
Rep 1,046
Posts |
I imagine the cost to repair a megcity car from an accident is going to be astronomical.
__________________
'17 M3 Imola Red/Carbonstructure Cloth, Competition, Lighting, 6MT
Retired: '93 325i |'99 Jeep Wrangler Sport |'06 330i Sport |'08 335i Sport |'08 328i Sport |'09 335d Sport |
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 11:56 AM | #3 |
Private First Class
![]() 9
Rep 110
Posts |
BMW - Bring My Wallet
__________________
328i LCI E90 / LeMans Blue / Black / ZMP / ZPP / Shadow-lined / Heated Seats / Park Distance Control / Paddle Shifters / Park Distance
Mods: 15% tint / 45% windshield tint / 3500k fog lights / matte black kidney /15mm Rear Spacers / 12mm Front Spacers / Euro AirBox / k&n / magnaflow |
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 11:59 AM | #4 |
Brigadier General
![]() ![]() 504
Rep 3,446
Posts |
It appears we are headed towards an era of unbelievably expensive vehicles for the sake of meeting unrealistic efficiency standards all based on the false religious belief that carbon dioxide is a pollutant.
__________________
See my photography at http://ronscubadiver.wordpress.com
|
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 12:02 PM | #5 | |
Brigadier General
![]() ![]() 1431
Rep 4,722
Posts |
Quote:
__________________
![]() Previous: '18 340i xDrive; '15 335 xDrive; '14 435i xDrive; '09 335 E92 xDrive |
|
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 12:10 PM | #7 |
Major
![]() ![]() 96
Rep 1,337
Posts |
Awesome! I hope no paint is a color option for these cars! I would love to get a 7 series with carbon fiber finish!
__________________
If everything seems under control, then you aren't going fast enough"
|
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 12:21 PM | #10 |
Major
![]() ![]() 225
Rep 1,425
Posts
Drives: MacanGTS, 991.2GT3, E63wagon
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Bellevue WA / Oakville ON
|
yeah seriously. WTF? lol oil WILL eventually run out. The real question is when. Anyway I hope this leads to some cool car tech in the future. It is amazing how much more efficient cars are today and the trend is only going to continue
|
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 12:28 PM | #11 |
Go ///M or go home
![]() 276
Rep 1,280
Posts |
Wtf? A much cheaper alternative is just making more hybrids/diesels, and use less CF in the car itself. As someone already pointed out, repairing this car would be extremely expensive.
__________________
2015 AB/SO F80 M3 6MT | 19" Black M437 | KW H.A.S. | AutoTechnik Black Front Grills | BMW Performance Side Grills | Painted Front Bumper Reflectors | Gloss Black Exhaust Tips
GONE 2011 SG/Blk E92 M3 CS 6MT |
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 12:30 PM | #12 |
Lieutenant Colonel
![]() 41
Rep 1,855
Posts |
Unfortunately, it's a losing battle. Even if cars are 2x more efficient, the population is increasing and more and more people will be driving cars. All the while, the "low hanging fruit" oil is depleting, and although we may have only depleted less than 1/2 of the world's oil (in only the last 100+ years!), one cannot expect that the second half will be as easily (or as cost-efficiently) obtainable as the first half.
__________________
![]() ///M Coupe: RPI Scoop, OE Strut, CDV, Volk RE30, SS Brake Lines, Stromung Exhaust |
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 12:30 PM | #13 |
Audiophile
![]() 5
Rep 156
Posts |
|
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 12:31 PM | #14 |
I plan your cities
21
Rep 123
Posts |
|
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 12:35 PM | #15 |
always on the run
![]() 0
Rep 5
Posts |
The cost of CF will drop because it will be massively produced. It is now being used in racing car manufacturing in USA by Panoz for their 2012 ALMS program.
There is a new material called REAMS (Recyclable, Energy Absorbing, Matrix, System), which is lighter, cheaper & easier to produce. I wonder if ppl at BMW had actually considered it. Well, we'll probably never know. But here is a link http://www.highcroftracing.com/news/...-panoz-qa.html |
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 12:36 PM | #16 |
Private First Class
![]() ![]() 9
Rep 176
Posts
Drives: BMW
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Jacksonville, FL
|
The era that we are heading towards is higher gas prices, which requires a need for better fuel efficiency. BMW is following market trends, and the trends show that people want more fuel efficient vehicles. Why do you think the new 328i has a 4 cylinder motor? As gas prices climb higher, car manufacturers must find new ways to make cars cheaper to operate, and carbon fiber is one of those ways. I applaud BMW for being on the cutting edge of this technology for automobiles and for exploring new ways to increase fuel efficiency.
|
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 12:43 PM | #17 | |
Second Lieutenant
![]() 70
Rep 270
Posts |
Quote:
How do you get out of bed in the morning??? I really don't understand this kind of logic. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 12:43 PM | #18 |
Loves his G20
265
Rep 2,508
Posts |
About time cause BMW cars are seriously overweight, I always wondered why Audi could do a Aluminum spaceframe for years and BMW failed to catch on.
__________________
![]() 2020 330ix-Msport Past- 2013 135i 2011 135i |
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 01:01 PM | #19 |
Registered
0
Rep 1
Posts |
I think this will cost many $ but i will be just like....
![]() http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4lrqPAFh-T...akeMyMoney.jpg |
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 01:04 PM | #20 |
Brigadier General
![]() 398
Rep 4,091
Posts |
This is a good thing anyway you look at it. While the current cost of CF is very high, basic priciples of economics will tell us that as production increases and CF become more easily accessible, the price at cost will significantly drop. As stated, oil is a finte object and will most likely be non-existant within the next century or 2. Regarding repairs, I dont see it being used immediately in chasis/frame development but more along the lines of external bodywork and posibly mechanical components. Also given the fact that it's much stronger than anything currently being used in the mass manufacturing of cars, frame damage may not be as common as may thing. F1 uses it all the time in their production process (im pretty sure) all the way down to the chasis.... Any other thoughts?
__________________
7/18/09- I pick up my baby- 2009 E92 335i Xdrive, Space Gray over Coral Red. Premium Pkg, Cold Weather Pkg, M-Sport Pkg, 193Ms, Gloss Black grills, Custom Gloss Black Mirrors, Performance shift and E-brake boot, M3 spoiler, Euro fog switch, gloss black interior tim, Coco-Mats (red/black), H&R coilovers, 19'' Alufelgen SF-71s......
|
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 01:05 PM | #21 | |
Moderator
![]() 7506
Rep 19,370
Posts |
Quote:
It seems to me that repair (and costs involved) are probably a very real concern with these new carbon fiber vehicles. Obviously you can't weld carbon fiber like you can steel or aluminum. Furthermore, part of what gives carbon fiber its strength is that the individual fibers are continuous over the entire expanse of the weave. If they are cut, I don't know how feasible it is to simply patch them back together in a way that maintains the strength and rigidity of the original part. I'm sure BMW has put a lot of reasearch into this, and has provisions for some of the issues repair will present. But at the same time, I'll bet that will take much, much less damage for a CFRP vehicle to be considered "totalled", than a traditional steel-based vehicle. While carbon fiber body panels can be replaced similar to how their steel counterparts are, if the damage goes more than "skin-deep" and the structural integrity of the body shell is compromised, it would seem that the car is a lost cause. Of course, they can salvage all the good parts (I don; think we can expect to see many i3s sitting in a junk yard) and use them to patch together another vehicle. But this will be costly to do. Even if they do come up with a system to recycle the parts in this manner, its obviously not something that just any old repair shop is going to be able to handle. For that matter, that goes for just about any repairs to a carbon fiber vehicle - they will need a network of specialty shops to do the work. Last edited by mkoesel; 02-23-2012 at 01:13 PM.. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
02-23-2012, 01:12 PM | #22 | ||
Moderator
![]() 7506
Rep 19,370
Posts |
Quote:
Quote:
|
||
Appreciate
0
|
Post Reply |
Bookmarks |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|