Composing the Future...

The following text was taken from an interview published in G4 Magazine Vol 2 Issue 1 2011 with Managing Director, Mark Preston

We are hearing more about the beneits of knowledge-sharing between motorsport and the military sector and one key area where it is signicantly apparent is in the exploitation of composite materials, both in terms of performance and safety. Indeed, as the MoD drives for evermore agile troop movements, greater attention needs to be paid to possible weight saving initiatives, with one eye on ensuring service personnel remain protected, while another is kept on budgetary considerations.

Here, Mark Preston, managing director of Formtech Composites, one of the world’s leading motorsport engineering specialists and a well-respected figure in the Formula One paddock, takes a look at the area of alternative materials and suggests how the military could further benefit from an industry that has developed this technology to deliver maximum performance – both from a knowledge and expertise perspective.

“Composites have been around in motorsport since the early eighties, when McLaren International worked closely with Hercules Aerospace, to introduce the first carbon fibre composite monocoque into single seater racing. The material was adopted and embraced by the sport because composites are so much more efficient than steel – both from a weight and a rigidity perspective. In the intervening years the adoption of these materials has been remarkable. Now 80 per cent of a typical Formula One car is made up of carbon fibre and its derivations.

“We have also seen how the integration of functionality is changing the picture in motorsport. The chassis format of a single seater racing car has evolved over the years, initially from a steal ladder chassis to an aluminium ‘tub’ structure. From there, bodywork became part of the chassis, the switch to carbon fibre arrived and a safety cell was also integrated. Interestingly, we are now starting to see that integration move into the military arena – the use of composite materials has already become more apparent on the frontline in weapon and body armour manufacture.

“Indeed, the motorsport monocoque is equivalent to the ‘pod’ in the new generation of light protected patrol vehicle (LPPV). In fact, the MoD’s latest LPPV, the Foxhound, utilises a hull-based design to dissipate energy in the event of an IED explosion. Alternative construction materials were utilised in this design because the LPPV ethos is of a vehicle that has to be below 7.5 tonnes, in order to be agile, while still needing to be extremely heavily-protected.

“However, cost remains a real issue with regard to the further utilisation of composites in the military arena as well as other spheres. The Formula One grid was able to embrace this technology over the years due the vast financial backing most teams have access to as well as the ‘win at all cost’ attitude that has always existed within this industry.

“At this point, it is perhaps worth clarifying the value of weight to F1 and comparing it to other industries, which will go some way to explaining the drive for composite development. A typical F1 car costs in the region of $2,000,000 and weighs approximately 550kg, without driver and fuel; this equates to a value of approximately $3,600 per kilo. Estimated kilo values for other sectors are one dollar for automotive, $500 – $1000 for military aircraft and $3000 to $10,000 for space programmes.

“So, if military aerospace is willing to pay $500 for each kilo saved, at what point does it make health & safety and economic sense for groundbased military vehicles to move further down the composites route? Those goalposts are moving and the situation in current theatres of conflict is having a significant effect on outlook, making the need greater. The more remote the theatre, the higher logistics costs of getting vehicles to the frontline become – as well as the fuel to service them - and therefore, the theoretical value of kilo of weight saved increases ever more. In addition, vehicle designs are evolving in order to deal with a new generation of threats from IEDs, meaning that vehicles need to be able to offer greater security for those inside, while demanding greater agility and lightness. Such trends call for the utilisation of lighter, stronger materials. So, the kilo value for military vehicles that is acceptable is rising.

“Cost has, until now, been a stumbling block to the wider use of composites. At the moment, there is a high complexity in composites manufacture, combined with a low productivity/rate of manufacture, particularly in Formula One. Therefore, the sector – composites manufacturers working into motorsport, aerospace and the military – are working towards the further automation of composite procedures, in order to regulate cost. Further development of the manufacturing process will come from the utilisation of new robotic processes. As robots become more ‘dextrous’, they will be able to replace elements of human input in composites manufacture. And that is the way the industry is going, which will drive cost down, making the use of alternative materials more mainstream.

“For motorsport, the racetrack was the research and development centre and as an industry, it was willing to take risks to push the research envelope. That risk factor has reduced greatly – with the industry now boasting world-leading sign off and quality control procedures, including acoustic emissions testing for damage to composite components. All of this helps to bring the two sectors closer together.

“So, how can the information learnt in the motorsport sector benefit the armed forces? It’s about understanding that relationship between risk and reward. The pressure of Urgent Operational Requirements (UOR) is pushing more risk onto the supply chain adding to the pressure and in some respects, military demand patterns are starting to become more and more like motorsport. A high end, low volume need for composites from the military sector brings a lot of similarities – and this is where the expertise developed in motorsport can make a real difference to the military arena.”