02-20-2014, 02:54 PM | #1 |
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BMW Plans Rollout of Carbon Fiber Wheels and More CFRP Components
BIMMERPOST NEWS BMW Plans Rollout of Carbon Fiber Wheels and Assorted CFRP Components Many BIMMERPOST members change their wheels for cosmetic reasons, but also to reduce unsprung weight. If BMW has its way, we could soon be seeing a massive reduction in BMW wheel weights by way of carbon fiber wheels. The i8 has already been announced with a CFRP wheels option (pictured below), which saves 3kg / 6.6lbs per wheel, but Autoexpress appears to be reporting on CFRP wheels for standard non-i models. According to BMW's lightweight construction manager, Franz Storkenmaier, "we save 25 percent in weight compared to a forged alloy wheel with the hybrid wheel [with alloy spokes and a carbon fiber rim] and another 10 percent if it’s completely carbon." Now BMW just has to convince European regulators that they’re strong enough to be safe on the streets. For those concerned about damage to carbon fiber wheels, Storkenmaier says: "The carbon fibre wheels are very damage resistant. They're actually more damage resistant to kerb hits than standard alloy wheels because the damage polishes out really easily. You can scratch it when you park and it's better to polish out than aluminium. You can have the metal finish to it with the alloy hybrid, but it's technically a better solution to go all the way and have a full carbon fibre wheel." Carbon fiber wheels aren't the only component BMW is seeking to potentially produce. Others include: Full carbon fiber steering wheel made of a carbon skeleton and a carbon frame. Secondary CFRP - a new carbon-plastic compound made from carbon fiber production waste from the i3 and i8 that will be a light and strong alternative to magnesium, aluminum and steel in light, semi-structural parts like dashboards, seat frames and spare wheels. "We have tried to use the leftover raw carbon fibre from i3 and i8 production to make carbon fibre parts, mixed with plastic. We chop up the leftover fibres and mix them all together, so it doesn’t matter where they come from or what their original job was supposed to be. After we cut them up, we mix them with plastic and this mix can be used in a regular plastic-moulding machines, but it comes out stronger and lighter than any thermoplastic. We are the very first car maker to use carbon fibre on an industrial scale. Now are we able to use the leftover from the mainstream production on an industrial scale, too." "We have developed an instrument carrier (dash structure [dashboard]) out of this material and it could replace the magnesium one at a weight saving of about 20 percent. It’s even higher for seat frames because they’re typically made from heavier metals than magnesium." "Carbon fibre is an expensive material to work with, but if you are using production waste then it’s a different cost structure from working up raw carbon fibre. It’s cheap, and that’s how we can position it as a competitor to magnesium." You may not be a fan of the i3, i8 or the entire idea of the BMW i sub-model, but these potential and creative uses of carbon fiber, which BMW can now produce on a mass scale due to the development of the i3/i8, can bear fruit in many other ways for future standard BMW models. Source: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/bmw/858...lose-producion Some photos: |
02-20-2014, 02:58 PM | #2 |
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Crazy!
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02-20-2014, 03:43 PM | #4 |
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I just sh*t my pants
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02-20-2014, 03:51 PM | #6 |
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That will depend on a great deal more than just lighter wheels.
Lowering unsprung weight will allow the suspension to react more quickly, and whether it's a sport setup or a luxury setup, I'd suspect that comfort will increase. Now if they'd just ditch the RFT tires..... |
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02-20-2014, 03:52 PM | #7 |
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Can't wait to see these especially for the i8, which will most likely be the first production BMW to have a CF or CFRP wheel option.
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02-20-2014, 03:55 PM | #8 | |
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02-20-2014, 03:57 PM | #9 |
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I hope these will be purchasable from BMW.
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02-20-2014, 03:58 PM | #10 |
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Are Bimmerpost at the EfficientDynamics innovation days at Miramas?
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The M850i is evidence that BMW have got their mojo back when it comes to dynamic sports cars...
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02-20-2014, 04:03 PM | #11 |
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Wow.
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02-20-2014, 04:07 PM | #12 |
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Anyone remember Dymag about 6-8 years ago?
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02-20-2014, 04:14 PM | #13 |
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02-20-2014, 04:19 PM | #14 |
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Loving what BMW is doing with CFRP!
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02-20-2014, 04:21 PM | #15 |
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Not sure I'd call this stuff "affordable". No such thing as that when it comes to BMW. I'm excited to see progress though.
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02-20-2014, 04:30 PM | #17 |
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This is the kind of thing that makes it affordable. The i3 uses loads of carbon fiber and is relatively affordable.
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Last edited by hankolerd; 02-20-2014 at 07:04 PM.. |
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02-20-2014, 04:33 PM | #18 | |
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One nice thing about carbon when it fails, the underlying structure tends to retain some of its form, for example, when a carbon fiber handlebar breaks, it tends to stay attached but loses most of its rigidity at the break. When an aluminum bar breaks, it tends to just shear off at the point of failure. I'll let you guess which is typically more painful. |
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02-20-2014, 04:36 PM | #20 | |
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I guess also although it will break instead of deform, the amount of force it can take exceeds that of a conventional wheel? |
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02-20-2014, 04:41 PM | #22 | |
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bmw carbon fiber, bmw carbon fiber wheels, bmw cf wheels, bmw cfrp, bmw cfrp wheels |
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