Automotive

Link to: ACG Automotive Product Selector Guide (PSG)

Link to: ACG Automotive Case Studies

Link to: ACG Automotive Press Releases

Advanced Composites Group (ACG) is the global leader in engineered continuous fibre composite materials for automotive applications. ACG has been at the forefront of composite technology for over 25 years and is well established as the world's leading supplier of composite technology and materials into the motor racing industry.

Having introduced the first carbon composites onto race-cars in the 1970s and then developed the accepted approach to manufacture integrated carbon composite monocoques in the 1980s, ACG has subsequently designed, developed or manufactured over 700 road and race-car chassis. ACG remains at the forefront of developing and translating this technology into the automotive industry to support the OEMs and suppliers who are facing fundamental challenges to build affordable, lighter and more fuel-efficient vehicles.

ACG is a composite technology supplier offering full turnkey application development from design through to concept and prototype manufacture. The service includes material, processing and technical support for each step from initial carbon composite component design through to prototyping and production process optimization, including full CAD and CAE optimization, throughout the application development process. The OEM defines production component manufacture and supplier nomination.

Whilst the superior performance of composites has been known for many years, their cost, cycle times and manufacturing processes have always held them back from high volume manufacture. This is no longer the case with detailed technical and commercial application development studies showing fully composite structures and applications are competitive and very cost effective against traditional materials up to production volumes of between 25,000 and 30,000 per year. Although the cost of raw materials may still be higher than traditional metals, the total component and system costs are often significantly lower, due primarily to the dramatically lower tooling investment. Ease of component and system integration dramatically simplifies vehicle manufacture to reduce costs even further.

ACG offers unique products, from initial styling to prototype manufacture, through to production of components and systems, including manufacturing jigs and fixtures to satisfy stringent industry quality requirements. ACG's automotive support team designs material solutions that reduce the time to market and meet, and often exceed, the automotive needs for vehicle weight reduction, cost reduction and integration of improved safety applications. Working with automotive OEMs and their suppliers around the world, ACG continues to focus on developing new proprietary technology to help our automotive customers create exciting, innovative and competitive composite applications, including complete vehicle structures, and to differentiate their products in the market place, thereby exploiting current and emerging composite technologies.

ACG's continual material and processing developments offer genuine automotive solutions to the industry's complex engineering and commercial challenges. The greater design integration opportunities, together with the flexibility of styling and manufacturing, result in significant fuel economy and programme cost savings.

Our automotive Product Selector Guide (PSG) is designed to provide a quick and easy way to select composite materials for automotive applications. General indications on mechanical performance and processing are also highlighted in the PSG. Full product details can be found in our standard product data sheets, which are in our data catalogue. Specific details are available on request from our comprehensive fibre/resin material database.

Please refer to our data catalogue for a complete range of products. Use the Quick Links (above - left) to access the data catalogue and PSG.

Typical Automotive Applications

Exterior Body Panels

BPS240 body panel system has been developed to give out-of-mould "Class A" compatible surfaces for horizontal and vertical body panels and closures. Suitable for finishing with standard automotive low and high bake paint systems, BPS240 offers up to 65% weight reduction over conventional steel body panels and processing flexibility including compression moulding, oven cure and autoclave processes.

Full Vehicle Structure

ACG offers materials full monocoque, bulkheads, roof systems, etc, and can provide expert guidance on designed for manufacture in prototype and mass production environments. The benefits that ACG's prepreg systems offer include:

• FEA optimised low weight construction.
• Total cost saving over traditional structures.
• Mass production.
• Significant weight saving.
• Short development and tooling lead time.

Structural Bulkheads

ACG offer structural design and manufacturing optimisation for low and high volume process applications.

Full technical and commercial design support including production-processing recommendations for minor vehicle structures aimed at increasing vehicle performance and reducing weight.

Interior Trim

Several ACG materials have undergone extended ultra-violet (UV) resistance and weathering trials and are used widely on car interior trims.

Structural Integration

Re-design engineering can integrate several components into a single part, providing major structural, weight, and cost benefits.

Impact and Energy Absorption Application

Composite materials can offer advantages in impact structures: increasing and managing energy absorption at the same time as reducing weight. Several ACG materials have undergone extended UV resistance and weathering trials and are used widely on car interior trims.

Customer Support

Production Capabilities

• BS EN ISO 9001 and AS9100 (prEN 9100) Approved Quality Assurance.
• Batch hot melt prepreg manufacture to exact customer specifications.
• Quality Assurance to customer specifications.
• Rapid turnaround, J.I.T. delivery to agreed schedules.
• Variable presentation formats.
• Controlled stock facility.
  

Test/Manufacturing Facilities

• Complete composite materials test capability (including mechanical testing, C.A.I. FMBAI, TMA, Rheology, DSC, C-Scan, image analysis).
• Dedicated test house.
• ACG Technology Centre.
• Vacuum, press and autoclave moulding.
• C.N.C. Machining, 5 axis 3.5m x 2.5m x 1.5m bed integrated with CAD/CMM.
  

Research and Development Programmes

• Finite element analysis (FEA) mechanical database preparation.
• Impact tolerance screening.
• Crash test simulations (high temperature capability).
• New resin/fibre type evaluation.
• Prototype/concept part manufacture and testing.
• Experienced R&D programme engineers to control projects.

Technical Support

• On-site support and demonstration as requested.
• Experienced automotive project engineers and laminators.
• Rapid response to all telephone enquiries.
• Experienced field sales engineers.
• Composite design engineering/manufacturing approved to BS EN ISO 9001.
• Regular technical meetings/updates for contracted customer.

Sub-Contract Loan of Labour

• Experienced engineers, laminators and fitters are available to assist customers during peak manufacturing periods (subject to availability).

Training

• Tooling and introductory classes.
• Design for manufacture.
• Bespoke customer specific.
  

Services

• Short production lead times.
• Dedicated freezer van deliveries in UK and mainland Europe.
• Rapid delivery service across the globe.

Link to: ACG Automotive Product Selector Guide (PSG)