BMW and Boeing Announce Collaboration on Carbon-Fiber Manufacturing, Recycling Processes

Ford may have snagged Alan Mulally from Boeing—to fantastic effect, no less—but BMW is seeking something a bit more . . . woven from the Washington-based aerospace company. The German automaker and Boeing today announced that the two companies plan to collaborate on carbon-fiber recycling techniques, as well as manufacturing processes for the lightweight material.

If you’re curious as to how BMW and Boeing found each other, allow us to feed you, baby birds: BMW recently opened a carbon-fiber manufacturing facility in Washington state, where Boeing is headquartered, and the state’s governor advocated for the two to get together. The BMW plant is part of the company’s joint venture with SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers, and the facility will churn out carbon fiber to be used in the upcoming BMW i3 and i8 electric cars. Boeing, of course, has been fiddling with carbon fiber for years, most recently using the stuff in roughly half of its new 787 Dreamliner commercial airliner. Both companies agree that as carbon fiber sees more widespread use, recycling and repurposing the stuff is going to become more important. The other facet to the two juggernauts’ collaboration is the exploration of “carbon-fiber manufacturing process simulations and ideas for manufacturing automation.”

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• Instrumented Test: 2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 5
• Instrumented Test: 2013 BMW X1 xDrive28i 
• Comparison Test: 2012 Audi A7 3.0T Quattro vs. 2013 BMW 640i Gran Coupe

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We know that statement is a mouthful, but long story short, there will be no flying electric BMWs. Or roadgoing, jet-propelled 787s. That’s okay by us. We generally like to see cross-industrial partnerships, but BMW and Boeing working together to bring better lightweight material to consumers—whether they be sitting on a plane or driving an efficient, featherweight sports car of the future—is especially exciting.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/JptLcO5mtGc/

Billy Garrett Jo Gartner Tony Gaze Geki Olivier Gendebien