Keen on trimming weight wherever and however it can, Audi has teamed up with an Italian supplier to develop a lightweight coil spring made of fiberglass-reinforced polymer (GFRP). Set to debut in a yet-unnamed "upper mid-size model" sometime this year, the spring is easily differentiated from typical steel springs by its light green color, slightly larger overall diameter, and lower number of coils.
Weighing approximately 3.5 pounds, the springs are roughly 40 percent lighter than comparable steel units, which tip the scales at about 6 pounds each. A set of four of the new coils provides a weight savings of about 9.7 pounds. The core of the spring is made up of long glass fibers, which are twisted together and then impregnated with an epoxy resin. The core unit is then wrapped with additional glass fibers by a special machine that maintains the application at alternating angles of plus/minus 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis. (These tension and compression plies mutually support one another to optimally absorb the stresses acting on the component.) Once assembled, the epoxied blanks make a trip through a 212-degree oven for final curing.
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Audi says the GFRP springs can be precisely tuned to their respective task, pointing out that the material won't corrode, even after acquiring stone chips; the springs are impervious to chemicals such as wheel cleaners. The company also claims that making the GFRP units requires far less energy than the production of steel springs. Audi R&D chief Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg notes that even though the springs save only a couple of pounds, that weight is removed from a "crucial location in the chassis system," which, he claims, will make "driving more precise and"—alert your passengers—"enhance vibrational comfort."
The concept of a composite spring isn't exactly new; after all, Chevrolet introduced the fully composite-sprung C4 Corvette of 1984. Unlike the Audi's composite coils, which will replace the steel springs at all four corners, the Vette's suspension was supported by a single transverse leaf spring at the front and the rear. Fun fact: The current C7 Corvette Stingray still uses the same leaf-spring setup—and to good effect. We're eager to try out Audi's new springs and, uh, analyze their enhanced vibrational comfort.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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