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TEXT BEN CHIA PICTURES COURTESY OF BMW
T
here’s no question
that BMW achieved
a huge breakthrough
in the automotive
world when it launched the i3 and i8
in 2013, with both cars bringing about
futuristic technologies that would
redefine the motoring landscape since.
But innovation has always been a
BMW strongpoint, and the company
has since further demonstrated its
streak for leading the way with the
new 7 Series luxury limousine.
Following on from the i3 and i8,
which showcased a new way of
extensively producing and utilising
carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP),
a material which is both light in weight
and yet tough in rigidity, in automotive
production, BMW has continued to build
on that technology with the 7 Series.
In the case of the i3 and i8 electric cars
however, CFRP is incorporated in their
Life Module construction for weight
reduction in order to maximise their best
travelling range, a vital consideration
for all electric and plug-in hybrid cars.
When it comes to the 7 Series,
factors such as comfort, safety, sense
of luxury, sound insulation, quietness,
driving dynamics and efficiency all need
to be taken into account as well. Which
is why the 7 Series utilises carbon core
technology, which is an intelligent mix
of industrially produced CFRP, based
upon the technology perfected by BMW
for the BMW i cars, together with steel
and aluminium, making it the first car in
the segment to pioneer this concept.
The carbon core technology allows
BMW to produce the 7 Series with a
combination of lightweight and strong
materials, which helps to increase
the strength and rigidity of the car’s
passenger cell for enhanced safety. At
the same time, the presence of CFRP
helps reduce weight, allowing the 7
Series to achieve improved efficiency.
With its carbon core technology,
the new 7 Series is able to offer a
dynamic driving experience, as well
as excellent acoustic comfort.
But how is BMW able to adapt its
CFRP technology into the carbon core
development that goes into the 7
Series? For starters, the car has been
completely redeveloped from the ground
up, and CFRP has been incorporated
in key areas that could benefit from
the utilisation of such a light but strong
material. In all, there are 16 pieces ofCFRP in the 7 Series’ construction,
with the parts built using four different
techniques to help achieve its targets.
Twisting, which involves weaving
carbon strands and then fixed with a
resin to produce a desired part, results
in a very strong material with very little
wastage. Twisting is used in areas like
the roof rails, mainly for reinforcement.
For areas which require added
strength, such as the B-pillars, BMW
uses a method which involves producing
a carbon fibre and steel hybrid. This is
achieved by pressing and glueing CFRP
with a high strength steel panel, which
“melts” the two materials together,
resulting in a super strong hybrid material.
For larger areas, a technique known
as laying is used, where sheets of CFRP
are laid and bonded together for use.Taking manufacturing
processes to new
heights, that is
what BMW has
accomplishedLEADING THE WAY
BMW believes in being at the forefront of automotive technology, and the new 7 Series’
use of carbon fibre technology in its construction is a demonstration of
BMW’s commitment to cutting-edge innovation38 // March 2016