Photo Credit: Puget Sound Business Journal/Anthony Bolante
BMW AG said in statement today that it is exchanging ideas with aircraft manufacturer Boeing on carbon fibre technology. Boeing is recognized as one of the major pioneers in the field of carbon fibre technology and its newest aircraft, the 787 Dreamliner, makes extensive use of the technology.
The partnership between Boeing and BMW aims to explore knowledge and manufacturing techniques in order to help save weight while preserving strength and safety on future vehicles. With tighter fuel economy standards on the horizon, automakers are looking at any ways they can to reduce weight in cars and trucks, with lightweight materials such as carbon fibre seen as a logical step. Carbon fibre is 30 per cent lighter than aluminum and approximately 50 per cent lighter than steel, which is currently used in the majority of vehicle body and chassis construction.
“Boeing for us is a suitable partner for a collaboration in the field of carbon fibre”, declared Herbert Diess, Member of the Board of BMW AG for Development. “Boeing has many years of extensive experience using carbon fibre in the field of aviation, while the BMW Group has earned a significant competitive advantage through its use of special manufacturing methods for series production of carbon fibre parts. Through this cooperation we can merge know-how between our industries in the field of sustainable production solutions.”
BMW has already made inroads with carbon fibre, jointly developing a new manufacturing facility with SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers in Moses Lake, Wash. (shown). The automaker says that it plans to begin offering carbon fibre passenger cells on vehicles beginning late next year.
BMW’s plans also represent a significant move against rival Volkswagen, which also owns a stake in SGL and has been forging its own cooperation deal with Boeing, primarily to develop the technology for use in vehicles from its Lamborghini brand.
