Shape Machining has produced a carbon fibre suspension link for a high-end automotive manufacturer (OEM). The links has undergone all tests successfully. The design uses ShapeTex and epoxy thermoset resins technologies to make a part that can be pressed in very short cycle times. The technique leads to 45 per cent weight saving over a formed aluminium part.

Managing director, Peter McCool, said, “This is a fantastic combination of technologies that we have developed, in-house, to exploit the growing market sector for advanced structural composite components in the automotive and aerospace sectors.”

Shape provided all the engineering, design, tooling and manufacturing services to complete this project. Shape offers these same services to all customers across a variety of industry sectors.

McCool added “By placing fibre only where it is needed, we create very efficient structures that can save a significant amount of weight for our customers. We successfully tested to destruction several of these links and I can confirm that they meet or exceed all the targets! Our customer was particularly happy with the safe mode of failure that we designed into the part.”

This technology is the intellectual property of Shape and is now being offered to the wider automotive industry. Shape is looking to adapt this technology for other automotive companies who have significant weight savings requirements and reduced un-sprung mass targets. (SV)