Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[BMW, SGL announce new carbon fiber plant in Moses Lake, WA]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/16/bmw-sgl-announce-new-carbon-fiber-plant-in-moses-lake-wa/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/16/bmw-sgl-announce-new-carbon-fiber-plant-in-moses-lake-wa/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/16/bmw-sgl-announce-new-carbon-fiber-plant-in-moses-lake-wa/#commentsFiled under: , ,



BMW has just announced that the company will join forces with Seattle-based SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers LLC to build a new manufacturing facility in Moses Lake, Washington. Don't get too excited just yet. The plant won't be cranking out CF bits for your 3 Series so that you can have a roof that looks like the one on your neighbor's M3 (shown above). Instead, BMW says the $100 million facility will be creating carbon-fiber reinforced plastics for the upcoming Megacity vehicle. At the same time, SGL and BMW will be creating 80 jobs in the Moses Lake area.

The Megacity vehicle is slated for launch in 2015, and will get stitched together at BMW's plant in Lepzig, Germany. Since that's the case, you may be asking yourself why the Bavarian automaker would bother investing in a facility nestled half way around the globe in the sticks of Washington State. Turns out the answer is that the location has plenty of things going for it, including clean hydro electric power, a capable work force and a government that was willing to work with both SGL and BMW.

Both companies have made a point of saying that this is a big step for the democratization of carbon fiber in auto manufacturing. Let's hope they're right.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW, SGL announce new carbon fiber plant in Moses Lake, WA

BMW, SGL announce new carbon fiber plant in Moses Lake, WA originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BMWBMW Carbon Fiberbmw m3BMW MegacityBmwCarbonFiberBmwM3BmwMegacityCarbon Fibercarbon fiber reinforced plasticscarbon fibrecarbon-fibreCarbonFiberCarbonFiberReinforcedPlasticsCarbonFibreCFCFRPm3MegacitySGLSGL Automotive Carbon Fibers LLCSGL GroupSglAutomotiveCarbonFibersLlcSglGroupFri, 16 Apr 2010 14:28:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19442902/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/04/16/bmw-sgl-announce-new-carbon-fiber-plant-in-moses-lake-wa/19442902/article-detail.xml 19442902 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/bmw-m3-carbon-fiber-roof_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/bmw-m3-carbon-fiber-roof.jpg <![CDATA[Add Lightness: BMW signs joint venture to further carbon fiber research]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/02/add-lightness-bmw-signs-joint-venture-to-further-carbon-fiber-r/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/02/add-lightness-bmw-signs-joint-venture-to-further-carbon-fiber-r/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/02/add-lightness-bmw-signs-joint-venture-to-further-carbon-fiber-r/#commentsFiled under: ,



Now that steel and aluminum are vying for top billing as the metal of choice in Automobile Land, carbon fiber is often considered the next logical step towards reducing the prodigious weight of today's cars and trucks - especially for high performance and eco-friendly vehicles. The problem, though, is that the material is still prohibitively expensive and difficult to work with for mass production.

In an effort to get a leg up on the competition, BMW has just announced that it has paired up with SGL Group to produce carbon fiber and textile semi-finished products for "vehicle construction... to install [carbon fiber reinforced plastic] on a large scale in a series vehicle at a competitive cost." Though the material is already used in small-scale models like the M6 Coupe, BMW says its upcoming Megacity car will be the first model to employ CFRP in "significant proportions."

The initial investment of 90 million euros will see two separate companies formed - one in North America and one in Germany - and BMW's goal is manage the entire process from creation of the carbon fibers using clean hydropower to weaving them into fabrics in Germany and, finally, recycling the material to ensure environmental sustainability. Hit the jump to read more from the official press release.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Add Lightness: BMW signs joint venture to further carbon fiber research

Add Lightness: BMW signs joint venture to further carbon fiber research originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bmwbmw carbon fiberbmw megacityBmwCarbonFiberBmwMegacitycarbon fiberCarbonFibersgl groupSglGroupMon, 02 Nov 2009 08:29:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19216598/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/11/02/add-lightness-bmw-signs-joint-venture-to-further-carbon-fiber-r/19216598/article-detail.xml 19216598 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/bmw-carbon-fiber_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/bmw-carbon-fiber.jpg <![CDATA[Brembo aims to mass produce carbon-ceramic brakes with new joint venture]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/02/brembo-aims-to-mass-produce-carbon-ceramic-brakes-with-new-joint/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/02/brembo-aims-to-mass-produce-carbon-ceramic-brakes-with-new-joint/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/02/brembo-aims-to-mass-produce-carbon-ceramic-brakes-with-new-joint/#commentsFiled under:

New technologies always cost the early adopters big bucks. But higher demand leads to increased supply, and costs eventually go down to the level accessibly by the common man. So while carbon-ceramic brakes might be a big ticket item right now - often dipping into five figures as optional equipment on European exotica - Brembo has formed a new joint venture with carbon-fiber supplier SGL Group with the specific goal of mass-producing the brake technology for widespread application.

Carbon-ceramic brakes offer several major benefits over cast-iron discs -- specifically light weight and the ability to dissipate heat quickly, preventing fade -- with few drawbacks. The only downside is that the extant manufacturing process is labor-intensive, driving the cost up, which is why they're currently only available on high-end exotic supercars. Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic Brakes, however, which just began operations at its Milan headquarters on the first of this month, aims to streamline the production of the rotors so that they can be implemented across the industry. (That's a good thing.) Scope out the press release below the fold for more details.

Continue reading Brembo aims to mass produce carbon-ceramic brakes with new joint venture

Brembo aims to mass produce carbon-ceramic brakes with new joint venture originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brake discsBrakeDiscsbrakesbrembobrembo brakesbrembo sgl carbon ceramic brakesBremboBrakesBremboSglCarbonCeramicBrakescarbon ceramiccarbon fiberCarbonCeramicCarbonFibercerbon ceramic brakesCerbonCeramicBrakessgl groupSglGroupthe carbon companyTheCarbonCompanyTue, 02 Jun 2009 18:32:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19054968/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/06/02/brembo-aims-to-mass-produce-carbon-ceramic-brakes-with-new-joint/19054968/article-detail.xml 19054968 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/11/brembo_250_op_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/11/brembo_250_op.jpg -1 2