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CARBON ALUMINIUM AUTOMOTIVE HYBRID STRUCTURES (CAAHS) PROJECT SHORTLISTED FOR THE ENGINEER’S COLLABORATE TO INNOVATE AWARDS (C2I) 2018
The Carbon Aluminium Automotive Hybrid Structures (CAAHS) project has been shortlisted within the Manufacturing Technology category for The Engineer’s Collaborate to Innovate Awards 2018, now in its third year, and is a celebration of collaboration highlighting the strength and depth of UK engineering innovation.

The CAAHS project – a part funded 2 year programme through the Innovate UK framework – has been a research based collaboration between 5 automotive partners, led by Gordon Murray Design, Constellium, Brunel University London, Innoval Technology and Bentley Motors. The major construction challenges of the project have been overcome and initial crash testing of the BIW structure is planned for mid November 2018. Due for completion at the end of November 2018, the project is on course to exceed expectations. The technology has delivered a weight saving of 35% compared to the current iStream® solution (based on steel and glass fibre composites) and translates into a saving of 50% over conventional pressed steel BIW construction. iStream Superlight®, as the technology is referred to, is anticipated to be the predominate technology offered by Gordon Murray Design to it’s clients in the future and is already the basis of several vehicle programmes being undertaken.

The project aims to take another major step with the disruptive iStream technology for a new generation of lightweight vehicles for the UK market that can have a major impact on the UK government’s carbon reduction targets for the UK vehicle fleet.

The ultimate winners of C2I 2018 will be announced on November 6th at the historic St Bart’s Brewery in London.

What the judges have said:

“At Frazer-Nash, we know that effective collaboration and the development of innovative solutions is vital in today’s increasingly competitive markets. We’re delighted to support a competition that recognises the achievements of effective partnerships and the value that innovation delivers to the UK economy.” Bill Hodson, Board Director, Frazer-Nash Consultancy

“I found the level of collaboration quite astonishing – the other thing that comes out is the cross-fertilisation of techniques and technologies from one sector to another.” John Halton, Director Business & Industry, Engineering UK

Professor Gordon Murray, Chairman at Gordon Murray Design said of the award “It is a great honour for the CAAHS consortium that the CAAHS project has been shortlisted for The Engineer’s Collaborate to Innovate Awards 2018. For me personally, the most important message is the recognition that we need innovation in both technical and business sectors to help the UK take the lead in the new ‘green’ industrial revolution that is taking place in the automotive industry.”

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

About Gordon Murray Design Limited

Gordon Murray Design is a visionary design and engineering company with its headquarters in Shalford in Surrey, plus R&D and manufacturing facilities in Dunsfold. It was established in 2007 with a focus on developing an innovative and disruptive manufacturing technology trademarked iStream®, and has since built a global reputation as one of the finest automotive design teams in the world.

The company’s unique approach and truly creative thinking enables Gordon Murray Design to deliver complete car programmes in a highly efficient and innovative way from concept and design, through to prototype and development for production.

About iStream

Rather than the traditional method of combining hundreds of panels of stamped metal, iStream uses tubular metal with 10 – 15 structural composite panels. iStream Superlight® is the ultimate automotive lightweighting technology as it maximises the iStream approach by using cored honeycomb carbon fibre composite and an aluminium frame to save almost 50% in weight against a standard stamped metal chassis.

iStream is an acronym for iS = Stabilised; T = Tube; R = Reinforced; E = Exo-frame; A = Advanced; M = Manufacturing.

www.istreamtechnology.co.uk

About iStream Superlight®

Advantages of iStream Superlight

50% saving over conventional stamped steel BIW

High degree of flexibility in optimising aluminium section shapes to ensure structural efficiency

Corrosion resistant properties exceed coated steel

Cold metal transfer welding reduces distortion and manufacturing time

Low weight aluminium frame can deliver a cost neutral BIW when compared to stamped steel

Delivers new levels of efficient body quality

Aluminium saving vs conventional aluminium BIW

More efficient frame stiffness achieved for aluminium section through use of carbon iPanels®

Low cost, high recycled content aluminium alloys

Re-cycled carbon fibre

Aluminium iFrame® protected from external damage

All hard points (i.e. suspension, steering etc.) are carried by the aluminium iFrame

Carbon sandwich panel cycle time of 100 seconds

About Bentley Motors

Bentley Motors is the most sought after luxury car brand in the world. The company’s headquarters in Crewe is home to all of its operations including design, R&D, engineering and production of the company’s four model lines, Continental, Flying Spur, Bentayga and Mulsanne. The combination of fine craftsmanship, using skills that have been handed down through generations, alongside engineering expertise and cutting-edge technology is unique to UK luxury car brands such as Bentley. It is also an example of high-value British manufacturing at its best. Bentley employs around 4,000 people at Crewe.

About Brunel University London

Advanced Solidification Technology (BCAST), at Brunel University London, led by Professor Zhongyun Fan, is an internationally renowned Research Group with more than 50 dedicated academic staff in the field of casting and light alloy technology and process development. BCAST was established in 2002 based on pioneering scientific work on nucleation that developed into a series of novel casting technologies based on high shear melt processing and melt-conditioning, generically described as liquid metal engineering, to provide sustainable aluminium and magnesium alloys for lightweight vehicle structures. BCAST has established world-class, applied research facilities for the development of advanced casting and down-stream light alloy processing technologies. The first of these new facilities is the £12.0M Advanced Metals Casting Centre (AMCC). This new facility houses production scale extrusion and casting facilities that will be complemented by new joining technologies in the Advanced Metals Processing Centre due to open Q1 2018. For more information, please visit

www.brunel.ac.uk/bcast

About Constellium

Constellium (NYSE and Euronext: CSTM) is a global sector leader that develops innovative, value added aluminium products for a broad scope of markets and applications, including aerospace, automotive and packaging. Constellium generated €4.7 billion of revenue in 2016.

www.constellium.com

About Innoval Technology Ltd

Innoval Technology Ltd provides high quality consultancy, technical support and training to investors, manufacturers and end-users of aluminium, and other light metals, across a broad range of industry sectors. The company, based in Banbury, UK, holds ISO9001: 2008 certification and ISO17025 accreditation. Innoval Technology is part of Danieli Group. For more information visit www.innovaltec.com and follow us on Twitter @InnovalBanbury.

Enquiries:

For further information please contact Sarah Smith, Communications Officer at Gordon Murray Design Limited sarah.smith@gordonmurraydesign.com +44 (0)1483 484700.

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