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Composites
Carbon fibre and glass fibre components designed for stiffness, strength and weight, and for the way they will actually be laid up.
Composite design and development
A composite part is defined as much by its laminate as by its shape. We design the geometry, the ply book and the tooling together, so the part can be laid up consistently and performs as calculated. Bonded and bolted joints are sized for the loads they carry, with inserts and local reinforcement where they are needed.
- Component design for carbon, glass and aramid fibre
- Laminate and ply book definition, including ply orientations and drop-offs
- Bonded joint and insert design
- Pattern and mould tool design
- Metal-to-composite conversion for weight saving
- Repair schemes for damaged composite parts
Specification
Materials
Carbon, glass, aramid; prepreg and wet lay
Processes
Prepreg/autoclave, out-of-autoclave, infusion, wet lay
Deliverables
CAD, ply books, tool designs, drawings
Volumes
Prototype and low volume
Typical parts
Panels, aero, trim, brackets, enclosures
Case study
Mercedes-AMG M178 V8 inlet manifold in carbon fibre
A customer tuning an M178 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 wanted to run more boost, and to run it consistently at higher engine temperatures. The OEM inlet manifolds are moulded in plastic and are not rated for that combination of pressure and heat. We replaced them with carbon composite manifolds that bolt into the original location.
The brief
The new manifolds had to fit exactly where the originals go, take the original sensors and connections without modification, and keep their strength and shape at sustained temperatures above what the OEM parts can tolerate. They also had to be practical to make in composite, so a second set would come out the same as the first.
Brief
Engine
Mercedes-AMG M178, 4.0 V8 twin-turbo
OEM part
Moulded plastic inlet manifolds
Boost target
[target boost, bar]
Temperature
[sustained operating temperature, °C]
Packaging
OEM envelope, fixings, sensors and connections retained
01
3D scan
Scanned the OEM manifolds, and the engine bay with them removed, to capture the outer surfaces, port faces, sensor bosses and the space around them.
02
Reverse engineer
Rebuilt the manifold as CAD from the scan: runner and plenum surfaces, port flange faces, fixing positions and sensor mountings, checked against the scan with a deviation map.
03
Package
Kept the new design inside the OEM envelope, so it fits under the engine cover with the hoses, wiring loom, coolant connections and charge-air cooler in their original positions.
04
Design for composites
Split the part for tooling, added draft and generous radii, set even wall thicknesses for a consistent lay-up, and designed bonded inserts for the sensors, fixings and sealing faces.
05
Engineer for boost and heat
Chose a resin system with a glass transition temperature well above the target operating temperature, then sized the laminate and bonded joints for the higher boost, with margin at temperature.
06
Validate
Fit-checked the parts against the scan data and on the engine, then pressure tested them at elevated temperature before they went into service.
Results
Boost rating
[rated boost, bar]
Proof test
[test pressure] at [test temperature]
Max temperature
[continuous temperature, °C]
Mass vs OEM
[difference, %]
Fitment
OEM fixings, sensors and connections, no modifications
Thinking of making it in carbon?
Send the existing part or CAD and your weight target.