YOKOHAMA, Japan – A material used in airplanes, rockets and sports cars may find its way into more mass-market cars thanks to a new production process developed by Nissan.
The new process speeds up the development of car parts made from carbon fibre reinforced plastics, or CFRP. Lightweight yet extremely strong, the material can be used to make cars that are safer and more fuel efficient. It can also lower a car's center of gravity when applied to upper body parts, making it more agile and exciting to drive.
Nissan aims to use the new process to mass-produce CFRP parts and introduce them in more cars for customers. The innovation can cut the lead time to develop such components by as much as half, and cycle time for moulding by about 80%, compared with conventional methods.
While the benefits of carbon fibre have long been known, it's expensive compared with other materials such as steel. Along with the difficulty in shaping CFRP parts, this has hampered the mass production of automotive components made from the material.
Nissan found a new approach to the existing production method known as compression resin transfer moulding. The existing method involves forming carbon fibre into the right shape and setting it in a die with a slight gap between the upper die and the carbon fibres. Resin is then injected into the fibre and left to harden.
Nissan's engineers developed techniques to accurately simulate the permeability of the resin in carbon fibre, while visualizing resin flow behavior in a die using an in-die temperature sensor and a transparent die. The result of the successful simulation was a high-quality component with shorter development time.
Find out more about Nissan's technology innovations here.
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For further information please contact:
Dominic Vizor
Product, Brand & Internal Communications Manager, NMGB
Tel: (+44) 07580 999016
E: dominic.vizor@nissan.co.uk
https://uk.nissannews.com/en-GB
Martin Bayntun
Corporate, Fleet, Dealer & LCV Communications Manager, NMGB
Tel: (+44) 07989 666412
E: martin.bayntun@nissan.co.uk
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Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 16,000 staff across locally based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. In 2019, Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced about 465,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, commercial vehicles and the Nissan LEAF. Pursuing a goal of zero emissions and zero fatalities on the road, Nissan is leading the field with its vision of Intelligent Mobility. Designed to guide Nissan's product and technology pipeline, this 360 degree approach to the future of mobility will anchor critical company decisions around how cars are powered, how cars are driven, and how cars integrate into society.
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