McLaren Developed Innovative Carbon Fiber Tape for Creating Even More Intricate Components.

      McLaren

      Carbon fiber has nearly reached a saturation point, even showing up in relatively affordable performance vehicles in recent years. However, just because we may not be as awestruck by this once-rare material doesn't mean we'll overlook a genuine industry advancement—especially from a reputable engineering company like McLaren.

      McLaren has been experimenting with carbon-fiber reinforced polymers for almost four decades now. Feeling nostalgic yet, F1 enthusiasts? Once again, McLaren is taking the lead in the industry rather than simply following trends. This time, it’s introducing an aerospace industry technique called Automated Rapid Tape Carbon—or ART carbon for short—that enables its engineers to utilize even less material while maintaining the same strength in components, thus reducing the overall weight of the final product.

      “The aerospace sector employs ultra-precise manufacturing techniques to create highly specialized carbon fiber structures for the newest generation of jetliners and fighter jets, particularly for large, essential parts like fuselages and wings,” McLaren stated in their announcement. “This is accomplished through robotic deposition of composite tapes to layer structures, as opposed to traditional hand layup with pre-impregnated materials.”

      The “high rate” version of this method has now been incorporated into McLaren’s Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) in Sheffield, U.K. McLaren explains that instead of using the aerospace industry's method of laying tape with large, mobile robotic arms, their approach employs a fixed arm while the jig holding the component being manufactured moves around it. This creates a hybrid technique that combines the conventional hand-laid carbon fiber process with features seen in additive manufacturing (commonly known as 3D printing).

      “McLaren’s Automated Rapid Tape method [...] uses a specially engineered machine with a fixed deposition head and a quickly moving bed that can rotate, which facilitates a faster manufacturing process suited for automotive applications and high-rate composite production.”

      McLaren states this process provides greater design flexibility for its engineers, reduces material waste, and allows for a more varied application of the material in future automotive developments.

      “The Automated Rapid Tape production method and ART carbon structures also open up significant prospects for the next generation of carbon fiber architectures. Incorporating this technology into the construction of an ultra-lightweight, ultra-strong carbon fiber tub—manufactured with minimal waste generation—that could support the next generation of McLaren supercars is already being explored,” McLaren added.

      When compared to traditional carbon fiber application methods, this new approach appears to offer greater flexibility and seems “easier” for creating intricate components, though I doubt the process is truly easy. As depicted in the video above, the raw material resembles the Cintas floor mats common at business entrances; it has a rubbery, porous, and flexible appearance. In terms of texture, it seems it would feel akin to felt. Regardless, regarding thickness, strength, and flexibility, it can range from thick and durable like elbow skin to thin and pliable like eyelids, as shown in the video.

      That’s intriguing.

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