NAA Member News: BAC involved in project to develop composite graphene-enhanced composite structural panel
Haydale Composite Solutions (HCS) has completed research work on its first structural composite graphene-enhanced resin automotive body panel with the help of leading UK supercar company, BAC, the team responsible for the award-winning BAC Mono single-seat car…
The graphene-enhanced resin is stronger than traditional materials, which has enabled the reduction in the amount of fibres in the composite material, resulting in a significant weight and cost reduction.
HCS is a division of Haydale Graphene Industries Plc, and the team includes industry veterans from the aerospace and automotive sectors, and boasts many years of Formula 1 experience. HCS sought to deliver the benefits of graphene-enhanced resins using an advanced, novel composite proposition.
HCS Managing Director Gerry Boyce said: “Haydale’s proprietary process allowed us to disperse functionalised graphene within the resin matrix and arrive at a solution that met or exceeded the performance specifications of the part, while making significant savings in mass where we are seeing reductions of approximately 20%. This has clear implications for cost, performance and fuel economy in vehicles if applied widely in the manufacturing process.”
Ian Briggs, BAC’s co-founder and Design Director, said: “This shows what is possible through the application of cutting-edge design and technology. What we can save in mass on structures we can deliver to our customers in terms of improved performance. At BAC we focus heavily on innovation and we were delighted to work with graphene composite industry leaders Haydale on this project. It marks another world first for BAC and the beginning of a project with a broad range of exciting possibilities.”
