Carbon Composite Hood Assembly

This hood assembly is a Class A CFRP part with a very-large complex clamshell geometry.  The painted Class A outer panel is complemented by an exposed weave inner panel.  The part represents the largest Class A carbon fiber composite part provided to a mainstream OEM at volumes up to 3,000 vehicle sets/year.  Design, tooling, and fabrication technologies from both marine and aerospace were employed for the first time in automotive to facilitate layup of the complex geometry with severe undercuts.  Integrated mounting points using riv-nuts and studs are molded into the inner hood panel.  Local section thickness was varied to meet structural requirements. The final part, incorporating fenders as well as hood, is 44% lighter than the previous hood-only assembly in SMC, helping improve weight distribution and lower the vehicle's center of gravity for better vehicle dynamics and power-to-weight ratio.

OEM/Vehicle Chrysler Group LLC 2013MY SRT Viper GTS System Supplier Plasan Carbon Composites Material Processor Plasan Carbon Composites

Material Supplier Umeco/Cytec, Toray Carbon Fibers Americas, Inc., Ashland Inc. Resin G83C  T700S-24K carbon fiber Tooling/Equipment Supplier Weber Manufacturing Technologies Inc

For More Information See: http://www.plastics-car.com/Todays-Automobiles/Auto-Body-Exterior