In the News-British Carbon Fibre & other composites?

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Re: In the News-British Carbon Fibre?

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

I presume the science of materials able to be used in 3-D printing is gathering pace too.

On another thread I linked to this article about Porsche successfully testing 3-D printing of electric drive and gearbox housings.

Maybe the stuff they use is "I cant believe its not metal" but it just looks like a normal metal housing.
NewcastleFalcon wrote: 03 Feb 2021, 10:14 If you follow Zel's blog you will have seen some of the excellent results of his delve into the world of 3D printing.

Well Porsche have also been having a bit of delve....
ELECTREK:Porsche is 3D printing electric drive housings that are lighter and stronger than conventional ones

In December, Porsche announced that it had been 3D printing prototype housings for electric drives that were stronger, lighter, and much quicker to manufacture. The engine-gearbox units produced using this method were even able to pass all of the company’s quality and stress tests without issue.

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Re: In the News-British Carbon Fibre & other composites?

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There are a lot of uses of steel, we have evolved to depend on it, but increasingly....in the stuff I read anyway, it is getting ditched. The move to electrification is a case in point. Arrival use a composite material for the bodies of their electric vans, because it is lighter than steel, and has other properties like a no paint finish, and flexibility, and they claim totally recyclable. On a smaller scale the last mile delivery bikes by EAV, also use a composite body again for the reason of lightness.

The video starts at the Materials little section



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Re: In the News-British Carbon Fibre & other composites?

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And Volta trucks using flax fibre composite panels and ribs in their trucks too. Everyone is going to be doing it, just a matter of time, and it will filter down to cars.
Of course the truck is in boring glossy white rather than looking like a beach mat
Of course the truck is in boring glossy white rather than looking like a beach mat
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Re: In the News-British Carbon Fibre & other composites?

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Well a loose connection with the thread title in the name :-D



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Re: In the News-British Carbon Fibre & other composites?

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Nice bit of practical 3-d printing on Zel's blog of a bonnet release part on his Mercedes

https://i.ibb.co/V0GKHgb/IMG-20210809-212026.jpg

The range of materials able to be 3 d printed is rapidly becoming endless. Following on from the Porsche final drive 3-D printed casing, I wondered how you could possibly 3 d print in metal.

Wonder no more



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Re: In the News-British Carbon Fibre & other composites?

Post by mickthemaverick »

Where will it end? I wonder what Brunel would have made of that? :?: 8-) :-D
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Re: In the News-British Carbon Fibre & other composites?

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Steel making woes a plenty, as usual, in the UK. The thread started in May 2019 with this.
NewcastleFalcon wrote: 21 May 2019, 12:44 In the news today an industry in the UK which has been struggling for decades British Steel, and non of the sell-off buyers and partners seems to be able to make a go of it either...Plenty of things to blame I am sure you can think of a few.

Perhaps, if the appropriate energy, resources/research had been put into carbon fibre, which is stronger lighter etc etc there might have been a more positive story like....

British Carbon Fibre opens new gigafactory in Consett/Redcar/Scunthorpe/Sheffield/Port Talbot/Motherwell etc etc

A Swedish start up in Steelmaking appear to have started well and have a decent contract with BMW in the bag.

The BMW Group will use fossil-free, hydrogen-powered steel from 2025

What is special about their steel? Its produced from green hydrogen, in an area of Sweden with excess renewable energy.



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Re: In the News-British Carbon Fibre & other composites?

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Swedish steel, that's a bit cyclic, isn't it?
British Carbon Fibre opens new gigafactory in Consett/Redcar/Scunthorpe/Sheffield/Port Talbot/Motherwell etc etc
Sounds like a hyper-giga-factory.
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Re: In the News-British Carbon Fibre & other composites?

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We've seen Dave's face on the Energy Matters thread this morning so should you wish to see his take on Fossil Free Steel click the link. Informative as ever and it would appear that Sweden might have some claim to being "world leading" on the matter. The link starts about 6 mins in, where the new process is illustrated.

Fossil free steel.

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Re: In the News-British Carbon Fibre & other composites?

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Maybe the Swedes could run the UK Steel Industry. They do seem to be the most innovative.

Dave's updated video highlights SSAB's links with Volvo and Mercedes.

Carbon Free Steel becomes a reality at Volvo and Mercedes Benz

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Re: In the News-British Carbon Fibre & other composites?

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^ Theirs, and the shipbuilding there, went right down the drain in the seventies.
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Re: In the News-British Carbon Fibre & other composites?

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myglaren wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 15:53 ^ Theirs, and the shipbuilding there, went right down the drain in the seventies.
Well placed in the roaring Twenties though :-D

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In the News-British Carbon Fibre & other composites?

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

3D printed cars :?: Has happened... not a lot of steel in them



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Re: In the News-British Carbon Fibre & other composites?

Post by Gibbo2286 »

The builder was towards the end of that video stressing "American designed and American built." but look at the robotics, KUKA is a German manufacturer of industrial robots and systems for factory automation. It is predominantly owned by the Chinese company Midea Group. :o
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