MATERIALS mixture (composite), carbon fiber has permeated almost every corner of the current supercar. Start monocoque carbon fiber frame structure, carbon ceramic brake rotors to carbon fiber body panels. Even the materials 'magic' has been reaching out to the more radical and extreme.
Formula 1 car racing has long been utilizing this material as a suspension, wings and house transmission. F1 racing car steering wheel is also made of materials that have properties of light, rigid and capable of saving those few ounces of weight.
Ironically, it is the heaviest component of the engine block in a vehicle made of metal, is the last component of the waiting time is replaced by carbon fiber. Though this part of the most greatly contributed to the weight of the vehicle.
An engineer from Florida named by Matti Holtzberg within the last 40 years has sought to create ultra-lightweight plastic machine has enough power to replace the engine block made of cast iron or aluminum.
Its main concern, of course, how the material for the creation of machines that can handle the heat and burden is concentrated. And the result, he has successfully designed a composite engine block which may be ready to replace the metal castings.
After experimenting for several years with a variety of resin reinforced with glass fiber material. He realized that the community of lovers of racing always mengangung glorified weight savings. He saw a niche market for a composite cylinder block thanks to light weight.
Armed with entrepreneurship instinct, he bought the equipment and build a laboratory facility in Palm Beach to make molds of carbon composite engine block design mimics block 2.0-liter Duratec engine owned by Ford.
After the prepared molds, epoxy resin and carbon fiber throughout the 6 mm stirred together using industry-standard mixer. The resulting dough has a viscosity equivalent of oatmeal, warmed slightly and then poured in the mold. After that settling for two hours.
According Holtzberg, by adding a few changes in procedure, allows the printing of this engine block in just five minutes. And another great, using an accurate mold, plastic engine block does not require finishing processes commonly encountered in metal engine block so that it can reduce the need for tools. After printing, the seat cushion and direct cylinder liner is cut to be included.
Holtzberg plans to use molybdenum plasma spray coatings to replace the aluminum cylinder liner in order to cut the extra weight. If using a block of aluminum can save about 8.2 kg weight then with this new technique could save weight by more than 9 kg.
Holtzberg also will equip this machine with a number of components of carbon fiber bolt-on, such as oil pan, cam cover, intake manifold and fuel rail to create a kit that will he offer to the drivers. After buying the kit, consumers can ask their mechanics to install complementary software packages were in accordance with the needs of both racing and rally competitions.
Holtzberg not yet determined how much carbon fiber machine-made blocks, but it seems not many Ford Focus owners who are interested in selling prices as cheap-cheap at U.S. $ 2,500 or even more just to save the weight of several kilograms.
