• Development of hybrid metal and composite structure to create design that incorporates best traits of both materials/systems
• Aluminium/steel in areas of non-linear crash events
• Composite structures to translate load
• Low-volume cost effective structures with higher stiffness and strength than cast nodes

Formtech Composites brings the multi-piece Moncoque to the Hybrid Torso Concept.

The post From Single Piece Monocoque to Hybrid Body-in-White Solutions appeared first on Formtech Composites.

After years of engineering and testing the developing partners (BBS Motorsport and Formtech Composites) are going to present their latest prototype of an hybrid high-performance wheel.

• High performance pre-preg rim
• Aluminium forged centre piece
• 50% weight reduction against Aluminium Wheel
• High performance characteristics
• Extraordinary design

The post Presenting the Hybrid High-Performance Wheel appeared first on Formtech Composites.

Visio.M is the state-of-art Electric Vehicle in Europe with an Hybrid-Body-in -White.

Formtech Composites developed the Monocoque concept in conjunction wtih IAV, before going on to manufacture the solution.

Design philosophy was driven by:

• simplicity,
• modularity,
• maximising processing options &
• reducing costs

One piece outer

• The monocoque is built “from the outside -> in”
• Pre-preg manufacturing with concept of moving towards stamped pre-preg
• Reduction of adhesive joints to reduce risk on FEA modelling
• The mould doubles up as the drill (no 5 axis final machining) and bonding jig

Inner skins

• Potential examples of different manufacturing processing techniques
• Pre-preg for initial prototypes -> move towards hybrid materials, RTM and other processing alternatives using the same moulds

The post Visio.M – winner of the 2014 Electric Vehicle Competition in Germany! appeared first on Formtech Composites.

From the first meeting in the middle of June (2009), Veritas and Formtech Composites took on the challlenge to work together to build the Veritas RSIII in less than 5 weeks from start to finish.

The Veritas RSIII has a 5 Litre V10 BMW engine with a spaceframe chassis and tightly wrapped full carbon fibre bodywork all presented in stunning metallic silver paint. With a top speed predicted at 350 km/h the car is certainly a head turner.

Formtech’s expertise in motorsports build programmes meant that the project could begin immediately. The Formtech group supported the programme with composites bodywork, machining of components and solutions to the design problems encountered during such a short build timescale.

Mark Preston, Managing Director said “it was an example of what is possible using motorsports working practices to achieve delivery in a very short space of time.”

The bodywork was produced with carbon fibre pre-preg material from the Advanced Composites Group. The process used an out-of-autoclave resin system similar to the proposed solution to the serial production car.

“Using a resin system and processes that are similar the final production version meant that we were able to gain valuable knowledge about the target weight and stiffness of the bodywork”, said Preston.

The car was delivered to the Salon Prive on time and won the prizes for the “Best of Show” and “People’s Choice” up against such challengers as the Aston Martin One-77.

Stuart Banyard, Production Manager, said “it was an incredible challenge and the staff all pulled together to achieve the impossible.   We enjoyed working closely with the engineers and technicians at Veritas to achieve such a great product in a short space of time.”

The Veritas RSIII has been presented at the Pebble Beach event in the USA and is now on sale via Vermot AG in Germany with a planned 30 cars to be built.

The post Formtech Composites and Veritas complete the Challenge appeared first on Formtech Composites.

• Absolute duration record Unmanned – The longest flying UAV in the world (beating Global Hawk’s record by a factor of 11) at 336 hours 22 minutes 8 seconds
• Class Record UAV (50-500kg) – Altitude: At a height of 21,562m (which is also 5,000ft higher than Global Hawk, albeit in a different category)
• Class Record UAV (50-500kg) – Duration: As above

The post Zephyr Records Ratified by the FAI appeared first on Formtech Composites.

This Unmanned Aerial Vehicle which operates within the HALE (High Altitude, Long Endurance) sector has successfully been launched at the US Army Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.

To date this UAV was launched on July 9th 2010 and is awaiting confirmation of it’s new record with a flight time of 14 days (to be confirmed by FAI).  If this is confirmed it will place the Zephyr in the record books by quadrupling it’s own previous unofficial result of 82 hours.

This 22.5m wingspan UAV is launched by hand and at little more than 50kg it has an exceptional range of delivery and retrieval options.  It operates by day on solar power generated by amorphous silicon arrays and by night it is powered by rechargeable lithium-sulphur batteries that are recharged during the day by the solar energy gathered.

Formtech Composites have provided cost sensitive solutions for the airframe components.  Working in carbon fibre from QinetiQ’s original designs the items were produced to specification and adapted as new innovations were delivered.

Communication was the key to this project with regular adaptations and meetings throughout the process.  Something which Formtech Composites specialises in.    Mark Preston, Managing Director of Formtech Composites. “We are proud to offer our clients a one to one drawing board to runway solution by maintaining a high level of communication and contact throughout the process.  Our results speak for themselves; in just two years of business we are able to supply such a high end client as QinetiQ.”

Production Manager, Stuart Banyard “We are absolutely delighted at the high level of results for Zephyr and wish to pass our congratulations to all the HALE Team at QinetiQ”.

Zephyr offers a real long term solution with its zero emissions and long range ability.  Defence solutions include surveillance, communications relay and mapping and Civil solutions such as border control, crop and forestry fire monitoring and fisheries protection.

The post Formtech is Proud to be part of QinetiQ’s Zephyr HALE UAV Longest Un-Manned Flight Record appeared first on Formtech Composites.

The FV10 ran this week in Southern Spain Virgin Racing’s Test/reserve drivers Luiz Razia and Andy Soucek racked up over 350 laps in temperatures of 38C.

The post FV10 – Super Aguri Reborn appeared first on Formtech Composites.