Westfield Build Alloy Chasis

[Mat Jackson]

Interesting news.....

Automotive: Lighter cars

Racing cert

Who: West Midlands-based manufacturer Westfield Sportscars has used technology commonly employed in Tour de France racing bicycles to reduce the weight of cars.

Technology: High-performance alloy tubing used by Westfield’s neighbour, Reynolds Technology, to make bicycles has been used to replace traditional mild steel in a car chassis. The project has been carried out with the assistance of Penso Consulting and Delta Motorsport and relies on 631 steel tubing from Reynolds.

Application: A car wishbone and chassis has been created with the high-performance alloy tubing. Dr Paul Faithfull, technical director at Westfield, said: “Westfield is constantly striving to reduce weight. Through this project we have developed a new wishbone which is 31% lighter than current product, stronger than current product, and aesthetically more pleasing.

“Based on this success we have developed a full chassis using the Reynolds tubing to achieve a 15% weight reduction, while increasing chassis stiffness by 15%.”

The project has been part-funded by regional development agency Advantage West Midlands and is managed by Cenex.

Keith Noronha, Reynolds Technologies managing director, says: “These outcomes have been achieved using one of our core materials, 631 tubing. There is scope to go even further as we are achieving world-class strength-to-weight ratios with tubes made from our ‘maraged’ stainless steels [a specially developed martensitic-ageing stainless steel alloy], which are four to five times stronger than mild steel.

“In addition, further application of our butting processes – patented in 1898 – will thin the tube wall to 0.3mm to achieve a 40% weight reduction and retain the necessary thickness at joints for welding, optimising the tube structure for the greatest possible net gain.”

[peterg]

*cough*    

[Mat Jackson]

Oh..........

Sorry - Been away............

[KerryS]

This press release made the IMechE magazine too.

[DAVE O]

technology commonly employed in Tour de France racing bicycles to reduce the weight of cars.

10 years ago....

There all made from CF nowadays  

[erictharg]

As you say, all very old hat. Besides, most of a sportscar's mass is not in the chassis frame. We can all pick one up easily. Colin Chapman's Lotus Eleven frame weighed not much over 50 lbs. No high alloy butted tube there.

So, marketing hype regrettably. Focus on the heaviest items. Especially if unsprung. Wheels & tyres, brakes, driveshafts, uprights, springs & dampers. Then engine and transmission. No need to risk a car's structural integrity by skinnying the frame until you've stripped all the aforesaid down to the minimum first. And if you really want the lightest stiffest structure, go for a composite monocoque. Oh - already done that...

[Sam_68]

10 years ago....

There all made from CF nowadays

Ironic then, that 10 years ago Westfield  were building cars in carbon fibre ...