Source: www.epa1973.com
According to “Made in China 2025”, published by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China: it clearly lists carbon fibre composites automotive components Technology as a major development direction for the eco-friendly and new energy vehicles.
Lightweight automobile could be achieved by using lightweight materials, structures and manufacturing technologies. Among the wide variety of lightweight materials, carbon fibre composites excel in terms of various mechanical properties including specific strength, modulus, and energy absorption. Based on the same rigidity and strength, carbon fibre composites weigh 50% less compared to low-carbon steel, and is also 30% lighter than aluminium/magnesium alloys, while also allow for a 70% decrease in assembly parts; hence possesses excellent corrosion and wearing resistance, and a lasting lifespan. But despite its obvious advantages, the high cost and complicated manufacturing process limit its effectiveness in automotive applications.
The application of light and strong metal, plastics and composite materials is the current primary approach towards lightweight automobile, and is also an important in the future development of lightweight automotive technologies. As its huge potential is unveiled, applications of carbon fibre composites would continue to expand and sophisticate.
During the dawn of the development of carbon fibre composites, cost and technical difficulties are always hindering factors for consumer automobile. Therefore, its application is limited to only F1 racing cars or super racers, which require maximum performance. But as carbon fibre cost decreases and technical skills mature, carbon fibre composite parts begin to emerge in mass consumer automobile, such as low-end cars and energy-saving cars.
Considering safety, manufacturing process and other issues; carbon fibre composites are mostly only applied in interior trims and body panels, which require a comparatively lower performance standard, hence not utilizing the full potential of the material. As design and molding technologies start to mature, applications on B-pillars, floors and wheels start to appear, and its superior comprehensive performance also gets better utilized.
For a long time, carbon fibre composite automotive parts are mainly batch-produced by hand, therefore there is no guaranteed quality of the parts, relatively high manufacturing cost, and low production efficiency.
But as its more widely utilized and demands constantly increase, traditional batch production will most likely be replaced by automatic, digitalized and intelligent mass assembly lines, propelling the low-cost and efficient manufacturing process of automotive parts.
