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Cobra kit cars hit the track
APPLICATI
8
NJ
Cobra kit cars hit the track KOBUS Venter is using fibreglass for all body parts at the Kit Car Centre in Jet Park, South Africa. Kit Car Centre has just produced its 500th kit for building Cobra replicas. The Cobra kit is the result of many hundred hours of design and development, according to AFI Fibreglass. Rracing cars typically use a great many glass fibre reinforced plastic (GRP) body components, such as bonnets, front and rear spoilers, wings, mudguards and side spoilers. This is thanks to GRP’s light weight, and because in an crash it can absorb energy at the point of impact, thus reducing damage to the engine and chassis. Steel absorbs the impact by spreading, thus increasing the damage. Another advantage is that with GRP you can have a one-off moulding, reducing the
need for welding and assembly costs. Furthermore, fibreglass is paintable to an A-class finish, or colour can be impregnated into the GRP. The body of the Cobra is a high-quality onepiece hand-laminated GRP moulding. The floor, transmission tunnel, firewall, front inner-wheelwells and boot compartment are laminated into the main body moulding using a jig to ensure accuracy and strength. The result is a structurally-perfect vehicle able to perform to racing specifications. A new class of motor sport is being introduced into South Africa called the Replica Racing Class. With a top speed on the track of 250 kph, Cobra replicas are likely to win their lion’s share. Kit Car Centre; tel: +27-11-823-1935; fax: + 27-1 I-826 7300.
This KCC Cobra is unpainted except for its ran’ng stripes.
Reinforced Plastics March 1995
GRP railway components head East UK GLASSfibre reinforced plastic (GRP) engineering firm Concargo Ltd is supplying electric rail expansion covers and terminal cable-feed covers for the Singapore Rapid Mass Transit Railway. The contract was awarded by main contractors Balfour Beatty Railway Engineering. Concargo completed tooling in August, just three weeks after receiving the order. The first components were despatched in early September, and final deliveries are scheduled
for shipment during March 1995. Both of the components supplied are manufactured from BS476 Part 7 Class I fire retardant polyester resin suitably modified to meet the specification for good resistance to ultraviolet light. An exact colwith match our components already in place was also an important requirement. Ian Rawlinson, Concargo Ltd; tel: + 44-934628221; fax: + 44-9344 I 7623.
Plastic wheels lighten the load RIMS AND wheels made from composites have long been standard in Formula One and Grand Prix racing wheels. However, cost-effective production processes and optimized materials could soon see this technology exploited in every day applications. Researchers at the Institute for Machine Tools and Product Engineering (IWF) in Berlin are investigating the use of plastic wagon wheels. The researchers hope that one day whole trains may run on these wheels, instead of Berlin’s cast iron versions which have been in use since the days of the Kaisers. In a closed mould, a laminate covering of carbon prepreg is applied to
a moulded core of high strength Rohacell. This produces a particularly light wheel which is some 50% lighter than iron. Nevertheless, it still displays sufficient resistance to carry the required loads. In a similar attempt to reduce the weight of wheels, Czech engineer Jan Novak is making wheelchair wheels that are helping disabled sports competitors set new records. The wheels are constructed from two strong 3 mm disks of Rohacell 51 core. These are reinforced on each side by 200 g carbon fabric and epoxy resin. Including hub and bearings, the total weight of the wheel is only 1 kg, reports Gaugler & Lutz
8
NJ
Cobra kit cars hit the track KOBUS Venter is using fibreglass for all body parts at the Kit Car Centre in Jet Park, South Africa. Kit Car Centre has just produced its 500th kit for building Cobra replicas. The Cobra kit is the result of many hundred hours of design and development, according to AFI Fibreglass. Rracing cars typically use a great many glass fibre reinforced plastic (GRP) body components, such as bonnets, front and rear spoilers, wings, mudguards and side spoilers. This is thanks to GRP’s light weight, and because in an crash it can absorb energy at the point of impact, thus reducing damage to the engine and chassis. Steel absorbs the impact by spreading, thus increasing the damage. Another advantage is that with GRP you can have a one-off moulding, reducing the
need for welding and assembly costs. Furthermore, fibreglass is paintable to an A-class finish, or colour can be impregnated into the GRP. The body of the Cobra is a high-quality onepiece hand-laminated GRP moulding. The floor, transmission tunnel, firewall, front inner-wheelwells and boot compartment are laminated into the main body moulding using a jig to ensure accuracy and strength. The result is a structurally-perfect vehicle able to perform to racing specifications. A new class of motor sport is being introduced into South Africa called the Replica Racing Class. With a top speed on the track of 250 kph, Cobra replicas are likely to win their lion’s share. Kit Car Centre; tel: +27-11-823-1935; fax: + 27-1 I-826 7300.
This KCC Cobra is unpainted except for its ran’ng stripes.
Reinforced Plastics March 1995
GRP railway components head East UK GLASSfibre reinforced plastic (GRP) engineering firm Concargo Ltd is supplying electric rail expansion covers and terminal cable-feed covers for the Singapore Rapid Mass Transit Railway. The contract was awarded by main contractors Balfour Beatty Railway Engineering. Concargo completed tooling in August, just three weeks after receiving the order. The first components were despatched in early September, and final deliveries are scheduled
for shipment during March 1995. Both of the components supplied are manufactured from BS476 Part 7 Class I fire retardant polyester resin suitably modified to meet the specification for good resistance to ultraviolet light. An exact colwith match our components already in place was also an important requirement. Ian Rawlinson, Concargo Ltd; tel: + 44-934628221; fax: + 44-9344 I 7623.
Plastic wheels lighten the load RIMS AND wheels made from composites have long been standard in Formula One and Grand Prix racing wheels. However, cost-effective production processes and optimized materials could soon see this technology exploited in every day applications. Researchers at the Institute for Machine Tools and Product Engineering (IWF) in Berlin are investigating the use of plastic wagon wheels. The researchers hope that one day whole trains may run on these wheels, instead of Berlin’s cast iron versions which have been in use since the days of the Kaisers. In a closed mould, a laminate covering of carbon prepreg is applied to
a moulded core of high strength Rohacell. This produces a particularly light wheel which is some 50% lighter than iron. Nevertheless, it still displays sufficient resistance to carry the required loads. In a similar attempt to reduce the weight of wheels, Czech engineer Jan Novak is making wheelchair wheels that are helping disabled sports competitors set new records. The wheels are constructed from two strong 3 mm disks of Rohacell 51 core. These are reinforced on each side by 200 g carbon fabric and epoxy resin. Including hub and bearings, the total weight of the wheel is only 1 kg, reports Gaugler & Lutz