Lamborghini Lab

Last updated

The Automobili Lamborghini Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory (ACSL), commonly referred to as the Lamborghini Lab (or Lambo Lab), was a research and development facility based in Seattle, Washington from 2007 to 2018, which focused on the development of carbon fiber composite technologies for Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. The ACSL also designed and developed carbon fiber products for other organizations in other industries. The hallmark technology pioneered by the Lamborghini Lab is the forged composite technology.

Contents

For Lamborghini, the ACSL was responsible for carbon fiber technology innovation, such as experimenting with new materials and processes, as well as structural concept development and generating new body-in-white concepts. For other organizations, the ACSL provided design, engineering, testing, and educational services for carbon fiber composite products.

The facility, located in the Interbay neighborhood of Seattle, also had a museum on carbon fiber materials and manufacturing that was open from 2015 to 2018. [1]

History

2007 to 2013

The ACSL began as an academic research laboratory under the guidance of Professor Paolo Feraboli at the University of Washington in Seattle. The lab was initially co-sponsored by aircraft manufacturer Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration, [2] and focused on conducting research in areas that were pertinent to the certification of the carbon fiber composite-intensive Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. These topics included certification methodologies for chopped carbon fiber technology, [3] lightning strike damage, [4] and crashworthiness of composite structures. [5] In 2007, Lamborghini began co-sponsoring the ACSL with the purpose of creating a research collaboration between the aerospace and automotive industries in the field of advanced carbon fiber composite structures. The official inauguration of the ACSL took place on October 6, 2009 with Lamborghini President Stephan Winkelmann and Chief Technical Officer Maurizio Reggiani, Boeing CEO Scott Carson, and UW President Mark Emmert. [6] Following the establishment of the ACSL, Lamborghini opened the Advanced Composites Research Center (ACRC) at its headquarters in Italy in July 2010. [7]

The collaboration between Boeing and Lamborghini through the ACSL led to the incorporation of the aerospace engineering development mentality at Lamborghini known as the Building Block Approach. [8] This approach calls for progressive correlation between analysis and experimental test data at different levels of structural complexity, from material coupons, to structural components and assemblies, to the full scale structure. The Building Block Approach was first used by Lamborghini ACSL and ACRC on the Aventador program for the development of the first out-of-autoclave carbon fiber monocoque. [9] In particular, the Building Block Approach enabled the Aventador to pass its crash test certification on its first try. [10]

The ACSL and ACRC were responsible for the development, characterization, and testing of liquid resin infusion technologies (such as VaRTM and RTM) for the Aventador monocoque. [11]

Another area of collaboration between Boeing and Lamborghini researched at the ACSL focused on composite repair technologies. For the 787 aircraft, Boeing utilizes specialized technicians and engineers, called Aircraft on Ground crews, to fly out to a damaged aircraft and perform structural repairs on the composite airframe. The ACSL adopted, modified, and transferred these technologies, processes, and equipment to Lamborghini for use on the Aventador supercar. Lamborghini trained a similar team of specialized technicians, called the Flying Doctors, and became the first automaker to be certified for structural repair of composites by the Technischer Überwachungsverein German TÜV and insurance companies worldwide. [12]

The collaboration between Boeing and Lamborghini was celebrated in 2012 by painting an Aventador in a special Boeing livery for the Washington State showcase at the 2012 Aerospace & Defense Supplier Summit in Seattle. [13] [14]

The ACSL also performed research in the area of 3D printing, in particular 3D printed high temperature prototype mold manufacturing, and 3D printed Class A surfaces class A surface finish models. [15]

While at the University of Washington, the ACSL sponsored and graduated three Ph.D. students (Dr. Federico Gasco, Dr. Hirohide Kawakami, and Dr. Bonnie Wade [16] ) as well as 30 Master's and undergraduate students.

2014 to 2018

The ACSL exited the University of Washington on January 1, 2014 with Dr. Paolo Feraboli in order to transition from research into application and product development. [17] It was a stand-alone organization located in an independent facility in the Interbay neighborhood of Seattle. The inauguration of the Interbay ACSL facility occurred on June 20, 2016 with Lamborghini President Stefano Domenicali and Chief Technical Officer Maurizio Reggiani. [18] [19] [20]

In addition to the research laboratory, the ACSL facility also included the Lamborghini Academy of Carbon Arts & Sciences, which offered professional classes on topics such as forged composite technology; and the Carbon Fiber Technology Gallery, which showcased over 30 years of carbon fiber composite innovation at Lamborghini. [21] The ACSL actively engaged in outreach efforts such as student visits and internships with the Washington State Department of Commerce, the Washington Industrial Council, and local schools.

The impact of the technologies developed by the Lambo Lab on the Lamborghini current vehicle lineup is still recognized today. [22]

Forged composite technology

The ACSL is responsible for the pioneering work of forged composite technology, based on previous research of chopped carbon fiber material forms sponsored by Boeing and the FAA between 2006 and 2012. Starting from 2009, The ACSL began to transfer the knowledge developed in the lab to the prototyping division at Callaway Golf and Automobili Lamborghini, which jointly launched the forged composite technology at the 2010 Paris Auto Show. [23] The ACSL designed and produced the first scale prototype of the Sesto Elemento monocoque, which was subsequently transformed into a full scale working monocoque by Lamborghini. Forged composite has since become a key technology for Lamborghini, and has been used in the structure of the Huracan, as well as for the interior trim and seats of the Aventador J, Urus concept, Veneno, Asterion, and Huracan vehicles. The forged composite interior package won the JEC Composites Innovation Award for Automotive Interiors in 2016. [24]

Using forged composite technology, the ACSL has developed for Lamborghini the world's first carbon fiber wishbone suspension arms shown in 2010, [25] and the first carbon fiber connecting rods shown in 2016. [26] The ACSL has continued to introduce forged composite technology in other applications, such as the Union Binding Company FC snowboard binding, which won the ISPO Product of the Year Award in 2014. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamborghini</span> Italian automobile manufacturer

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company is owned by the Volkswagen Group through its subsidiary Audi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monocoque</span> Structural design that supports loads through an objects external skin

Monocoque, also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word monocoque is a French term for "single shell".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airframe</span> Mechanical structure of an aircraft

The mechanical structure of an aircraft is known as the airframe. This structure is typically considered to include the fuselage, undercarriage, empennage and wings, and excludes the propulsion system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamborghini Gallardo</span> Sports car produced by Lamborghini

The Lamborghini Gallardo is a sports car built by the Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini from 2003 to 2013. It is Lamborghini's second car released under parent company Audi, and the best-selling model at the time with 14,022 built throughout its production run. Named after a famous breed of fighting bull, the V10 powered Gallardo has been Lamborghini's sales leader and stable-mate to a succession of V12 flagship models—first to the Murciélago, then to the Aventador, being the first entry-level Lamborghini in one-and-half decades. On 25 November 2013, the last Gallardo was rolled off the production line. The Gallardo was replaced by the Huracán in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reinforced carbon–carbon</span> Graphite-based composite material

Carbon fibre reinforced carbon (CFRC), carbon–carbon (C/C), or reinforced carbon–carbon (RCC) is a composite material consisting of carbon fiber reinforcement in a matrix of graphite. It was developed for the reentry vehicles of intercontinental ballistic missiles, and is most widely known as the material for the nose cone and wing leading edges of the Space Shuttle orbiter. Carbon-carbon brake discs and brake pads have been the standard component of the brake systems of Formula One racing cars since the late 1970s; the first year carbon brakes were seen on a Formula One car was 1976.

Dr. Ramulu Mamidala is a mechanical engineering professor at University of Washington. Usually goes by the name 'Ram', or 'M.R.', he is recognized for his leadership and outstanding record in promoting collaborative education and research with industry. He is currently the director of Manufacturing Science and Technology Laboratory (MSTL) at Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Washington. He has designed and developed manufacturing methods for a wide range of systems, from the B2 bomber to the Boeing 787. Additionally, in collaboration with industry, he established and directed two interdisciplinary graduate educational programs in engineering and management and a certificate program in composites tooling and manufacturing. His exemplary collaborative efforts motivated working engineers to pursue doctoral studies and he is a leader in using emerging technologies in distance education to reach non-traditional students.

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers, carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers, carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic, also known as carbon fiber, carbon composite, or just carbon, are extremely strong and light fiber-reinforced plastics that contain carbon fibers. CFRPs can be expensive to produce, but are commonly used wherever high strength-to-weight ratio and stiffness (rigidity) are required, such as aerospace, superstructures of ships, automotive, civil engineering, sports equipment, and an increasing number of consumer and technical applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamborghini Sesto Elemento</span> Limited edition Lamborghini

The Lamborghini Sesto Elemento is a high-performance limited edition car produced by the Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini, which debuted at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The Sesto Elemento's name is a reference to the atomic number of carbon, referring to the carbon fibre used in its construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamborghini Aventador</span> Sports car produced by Lamborghini

The Lamborghini Aventador is a mid-engine sports car that was produced by the Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini from 2011 until 2022. The Aventador’s namesake is a Spanish fighting bull that fought in Zaragoza, Aragón, in 1993. The Aventador was the successor to the Murciélago and was produced in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy.

Forged composite, commonly referred to as forged carbon, is a type of carbon fiber SMC material composed of small pieces of carbon fiber composite material that are pressed into shape as the resin sets. This is in contrast to most carbon fiber composites, which are made of larger continuous layers that are 'laid up' one at a time, often manually. Forged composite allows for a higher range of shapes to be formed with precision, relative to traditional carbon fiber. It was originally developed jointly between Lamborghini, Callaway Golf Company, and the Lamborghini Lab. It was unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show in a Lamborghini concept car, the Sesto Elemento. The United States trademark for forged composite was filed on July 13, 2010, in the category Toys and Sporting Goods Products by Callaway Golf, while the trademark for Forged Composites was registered in 2018 in the automotive category by Lamborghini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamborghini Huracán</span> Sports car manufactured by Lamborghini

The Lamborghini Huracán is a sports car manufactured by Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini replacing the previous V10 offering, the Gallardo. The Huracán was revealed online in December 2013, making its worldwide debut at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show and was released in the market in the second quarter of 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Lamborghini</span>

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. is an Italian brand and manufacturer of luxury automobiles. Lamborghini's production facility and headquarters are located in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy. Italian manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini founded the company in 1963 with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with offerings from established marques such as Ferrari. The company's first models were introduced in the mid-1960s and were noted for their refinement, power and comfort. Lamborghini gained wide acclaim in 1966 for the Miura sports coupé, which established rear mid-engine, rear wheel drive as the standard layout for high-performance cars of the era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamborghini Asterion</span> Hybrid concept car developed by Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini

The Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4 is a concept hybrid car manufactured by Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini, which was unveiled at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. The car is named after a Minotaur called Asterion and was to be Lamborghini's first hybrid model. The half man – half bull Minotaur was chosen keeping in mind Lamborghini's tradition of naming their cars after a bull while alluding to its usage of different modes of power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paolo Feraboli</span> Italian inventor and businessman (born 1976)

Paolo Feraboli is a carbon fiber technology inventor and businessman. He is the founder and CTO of Gemini Composites, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Carbon Fiber and Composites, and founder and former Director of the Automobili Lamborghini Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory (ACSL). He is known for having invented the Forged Composite technology, and his contributions to the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento and Aventador programs.

CFSMC, or Carbon Fiber Sheet Molding Compound, is a ready to mold carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite material used in compression molding. While traditional SMC utilizes chopped glass fibers in a polymer resin, CFSMC utilizes chopped carbon fibers. The length and distribution of the carbon fibers is more regular, homogeneous, and constant than the standard glass SMC. CFSMC offers much higher stiffness and usually higher strength than standard SMC, but at a higher cost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamborghini Terzo Millennio</span> All-electric concept car introduced by Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini in 2017

The Lamborghini Terzo Millennio is a futuristic electric concept car introduced by Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini and developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It is the first product of a three-year, £100,000,000 partnership among the two institutions. The Terzo Millennio was unveiled in November 2017 at the EmTech conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamborghini Veneno</span> Limited edition sports car produced by Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini

The Lamborghini Veneno is a limited production high performance sports car manufactured by Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini. Based on the Lamborghini Aventador, the Veneno was developed to celebrate Lamborghini's 50th anniversary. It was introduced at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. When introduced, it had a price of US$4,000,000, making it one of the most expensive production cars in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamborghini Centenario</span> Sports car

The Lamborghini Centenario is a limited production sports car based on the Lamborghini Aventador which was unveiled at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show to commemorate the 100th birthday of the company's founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamborghini Essenza SCV12</span> Track-day car produced by Lamborghini

The Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 is a track-only car produced by the Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini under their Squadra Corse racing division. Introduced on 29 July 2020, it was the most powerful and the last purely naturally-aspirated car built by the brand at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurizio Reggiani</span> Italian engineer

Maurizio Reggiani is an Italian engineer who currently serves as the vice president of Lamborghini Squadra Corse. He has been responsible for several Lamborghini flagship models.

References

  1. ↑ Dudley, Brier (15 February 2015). "Seattle Lamborghini museum shows spread of our innovation". The Seattle Times . Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  2. ↑ McPherson, Angie. "Structure, Sport, and Style". Composites Manufacturing. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  3. ↑ Feraboli, Paolo; Peitso, Elof (2009). "Characterization of Prepreg-Based Discontinuous Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Systems" (PDF). Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites . 28 (10): 1191–1214. doi:10.1177/0731684408088883. S2CID   53490143 . Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  4. ↑ Feraboli, Paolo; Miller, Mark (2009). "Damage resistance and tolerance of carbon/epoxy composite coupons subjected to simulated lightning strike" (PDF). Composites: Part A. 40 (6–7): 954–967. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2009.04.025 . Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  5. ↑ Feraboli, Paolo; Wade, Bonnie (2009). "Crush energy absorption of composite channel section specimens" (PDF). Composites: Part A. 40 (8): 1248–1256. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2009.05.021 . Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  6. ↑ Porro, Raffaello (7 October 2009). "Lamborghini leads development of carbon fiber with investment in aerospace research and design center" (PDF). Automobili Lamborghini Press Release. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  7. ↑ Garlitos, Kirby (15 July 2010). "Lamborghini opens new carbon fiber research center in Sant'Agata". Top Speed.
  8. ↑ Reggiani, Maurizio; Feraboli, Paolo (27–29 October 2009). "Carbon Fiber Composites Research and Development at Automobili Lamborghini". Proceedings of the 4th Composites Europe Conference. Stuttgart, Germany: 3. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  9. ↑ "Lamborghini Advancing the Research in Structural Materials". American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Newswise. 13 October 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  10. ↑ Gardiner, Ginger (4 September 2012). "Sixth Element: Lamborghini accelerates CFRP". High-Performance Composites. No. September 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  11. ↑ Dudley, Brier (27 February 2011). "UW Lamborghini lab to show off its supercar". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  12. ↑ "Automobili Lamborghini becomes first automotive firm in the world to obtain TÜV certification for its carbon fiber car repair service". Volkswagen Press Release. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  13. ↑ "Boeing and Lamborghini create Aventador Dreamliner Edition". Car Buzz. 14 March 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  14. ↑ "One Dreamliner of a car". The Seattle Times. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  15. ↑ "The Speed of Light" (PDF). Fortus. 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  16. ↑ Trop, Jaclyn (August 29, 2016). "Meet the woman helping Lamborghini sell more vehicles to female drivers". Fortune Magazine. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  17. ↑ Virgin, Bill. "Lambo Leap: Composites Lab splits from UW to focus more on industrial applications" (PDF). Seattle Business Magazine. No. March 2015. pp. 12–13. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  18. ↑ "Lamborghini inaugurates new carbon fiber research center Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory in Seattle, WA" (PDF). Lamborghini. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  19. ↑ Cipalla, Rita. "Italian luxury-car company Lamborghini opens Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory in Seattle on June 20,2016". Historylink.org. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  20. ↑ Bassett, Abigail. "Behind the Scenes at Lamborghini's Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory". Automobile Magazine. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  21. ↑ Dudley, Brier (15 February 2015). "Seattle Lamborghini museum shows spread of our innovation". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  22. ↑ Forni, Francesco (2 July 2019). "Lamborghini da corsa e da strada, le racconta il CTO Maurizio Reggiani". Quotidiano Motori. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  23. ↑ Newport, John Paul (13 November 2010). "Drive the Ball Like it's a Lamborghini, Maybe: Not Your Father's Persimmon: Callaway's Latest Assault on the Tee Box is a New Material Called 'Forged Composite'". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
  24. ↑ "Lamborghini wins the Innovation Award at JEC Composites 2016". Volkswagen Press Release. 9 March 2016. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  25. ↑ Feraboli, Paolo; Gasco, Federico (2011). "Lamborghini "Forged Composite" Technology for the Suspension Arms of the Sesto Elemento" (PDF). American Society of Composites 26th Technical Conference Proceedings. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  26. ↑ Sherman, Don (22 June 2016). "Lamborghini is Forging Ahead with Forged Carbon Fiber; We Visit their U.S.-based Lab". Car and Driver. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  27. ↑ Gavelda, Ben (27 January 2014). "Union Forged FC Binding Lands ISPO Product of the Year". Transworld Snowboarding. Retrieved 12 October 2016.

47°39′00″N122°22′45″W / 47.65000°N 122.37917°W / 47.65000; -122.37917

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.