Despite the popularity of carbon fiber, it's not a common sight in the OEM automotive market. However, there are several advantages of carbon fibers, including high tensile strength, thermal stability, chemical resistance, and stiffness. In addition, carbon fiber fenders are also very lightweight. This feature makes them ideal for race and track cars, and they can be installed on your street car with little or no modification.
The Corvette was the first car to use carbon fibre wing exterior body panels. Its unique body styling and high horsepower engines made it an ideal test bed for new GM technologies. As such, the 2004 LeMans Commemorative Edition Z06 was the first vehicle to use a carbon fiber hood and front fenders. This was a successful endeavor that saw the production of 7,000 pairs of fenders within a relatively short period of time.
Before production began, GM reached out to Vermont Composites to validate fender production. The company had to first show that it could produce enough fenders to meet the demand. Vermont Composites then set out to prove that the production could be scaled up to seven times the desired number. The company is now working with other prepreggers to reduce costs for next year's model year. In addition, Vermont Composites is looking at lower-cost fiber options for the 2007 model year.
The company is also working with Toray Composites America Inc., a carbon fiber manufacturer located in Tacoma, Wash. Toray manufactures Toray P3831C-190 carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg for the fenders. They also have a contract with Toray through 2006.
Vermont Composites worked with Models & Tools Inc. to develop the fenders. They produced a 3D model of an autoclave for the fenders. They placed virtual fender tools in different positions, and used I-DEAS finite element analysis software to simulate air flow characteristics. This allowed Vermont Composites to verify a cure cycle time of under 90 minutes. The company has also worked with MAYA Heat Transfer Technologies, which is a supplier of advanced thermal analysis software. This software simulated thermal behavior and helped the engineers at Vermont Composites resolve any thermal engineering problems.
The fenders are finished with a glossy clear coat, which protects the carbon fiber from chipping and flaking. They also include black anodized mounting brackets, which can be used to mount the fenders to the vehicle. This ensures a perfect fit. In addition, the fenders are shipped pre-drilled and painted, and are available with a raw carbon fiber finish. They're also available in OEM and aftermarket styles.
Vermont Composites currently produces fenders that can be produced with four tools in a cure cycle. However, they are looking at ways to reduce the number of tools in future production. In addition, they are working on improvements to the processing. These improvements could result in faster processing and increased production rates. Depending on the vehicle's build, new mounting holes may be necessary.
While Vermont Composites has been able to validate the production of carbon fiber fenders, there are still a few things that need to be worked out before they can become an OEM vehicle part. They still need to prove the process is viable and that the part has performance and appearance merits. The company's contract with GM runs through 2010.
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