Mar 8 2011
Advanced Composites Group Ltd. (ACG), part of Umeco Composites Structural Materials (UCSM) - a Division of Umeco plc, will host Delta Motorsport Ltd. as it unveils its all-electric E-4 Coupé to personnel at Bentley Motors Ltd., Crewe, Cheshire, the first venue in the UK stage of the high profile European Automotive Industry Technology Roadshow (EAIT), which starts today (March 7th).
Attendees at all venues of the UK stage of the Roadshow will be able to view the E-4 Coupe and its innovative construction, which exploits ACG’s DForm® Deformable Composite System (DCS) in the chassis and also in the next generation composite Body Panel System (BPS).
Delta’s E-4 Coupé will also be the feature exhibit on the Umeco Composites’ stand (T50) at the JEC Composites show between the 29th and 31st March 2011.
Following the week-long UK stage the Roadshow will, throughout March, travel across Europe to Italy and Germany, where ACG will be exhibiting the composites technologies featured on the E-4 Coupé.
Delta worked with ACG to develop materials and process methodology for the carbon fibre integrated chassis and bodywork construction, generating a class-leading, low-mass vehicle with a construction philosophy that will carry it from prototype to medium volume production.
The four seater road car has been engineered with a high level of parts integration to maximise weight reduction. The Body in White (BIW) is manufactured from just fifteen major composite panels and weighs only 85Kg, which includes the front and rear aluminium sub-frames, and crash structures.
Closures have also been manufactured using carbon DForm for the internal panels and either glass or carbon BPS for the outer shell. This approach, dispensing with additional trim covers, further reduces weight and maximises the all-important mileage range.
The car also used a range of ACG’s prepregs systems for the aesthetically pleasing seats. In collaboration with its carbon fibre fabric weavers, ACG has developed a Special Visual Quality (SVQ) material specification that maximises the aesthetic impact of carbon fibre finishes, ensuring that its products meet the exacting requirements set by the automotive interiors industry.
ACG’s representatives will be on hand throughout the EAIT Roadshow to discuss and demonstrate the range of structural and body panel prepreg systems, together with prepregs which produce high quality aesthetic finishes, and associated tooling solutions.