Photo: BMW
Materials used in the construction of jet planes are some of the most advanced, strongest and most expensive you could possibly think of. It comes as no surprise, really, that BMW has announced a partnership with airplane maker Boeing, in order to exchange information regarding the manufacturing of carbon fiber.
BMW is not the first mainstream automaker to join forces with Boeing, as VW also does so, through Lamborghini. However, this is good news for everybody involved, as it means that aircraft-grade materials will slowly make their way into cars, and at a much lower price than they would have, if they had been developed by the automakers themselves.
With its excellent physical properties of being 30% lighter than aluminium and 50% lighter than steel, while also being stronger, carbon fiber will become a more important material in the automotive industry, as its price goes down, and it becomes available on cheaper and cheaper cars.
Ford, for instance, is also developing its own ‘cheap carbon fiber’ to use on its production cars, while Volkswagen has bought a large stake of SGL Carbon, a major player on the German carbon fiber market, and is also collaborating with Boeing.
Story via autonews.com
With its excellent physical properties of being 30% lighter than aluminium and 50% lighter than steel, while also being stronger, carbon fiber will become a more important material in the automotive industry, as its price goes down, and it becomes available on cheaper and cheaper cars.
Ford, for instance, is also developing its own ‘cheap carbon fiber’ to use on its production cars, while Volkswagen has bought a large stake of SGL Carbon, a major player on the German carbon fiber market, and is also collaborating with Boeing.
Story via autonews.com
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