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AEROSPACE AUTOMOTIVE BUILDING RAIL ELECTRONICS MEDIA & PR |
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Now competing in the FIA World Rally Championship the latest works Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution rally car is fitted with panels supplied by Superform. Our customer, Coventry Prototype Panels (CPP) - website www.covproto.com -needed to find a manufacturing solution for the aluminium bonnet and boot inner and outer panels, that offered low volume production, low cost tooling but with high quality parts. Superform were the answer.
As is the case with all motorsport developments the timescale was extremely tight! We were asked to supply these parts for the new rally car within 6 weeks, so this meant that four form tools had to be designed, manufactured and panels produced within the 6 week timeframe! For most processes this is an impossible schedule, but thanks to our recent investments in CADCAM, CNC machining and advances in forming processes, Superform were more than able to meet the challenge.
Above: The Superformed bonnet outer and inner stiffener panels
Above: The Superformed Boot outer and inner stiffener panels Using the latest CATIA v5 design software we developed the tooling design directly from the native CAD data supplied by CPP. While the tools were being manufactured all the jigs and trimming fixtures and cutter paths were produced in house so that as soon as the tools arrived the first panels were being produced within 24hrs. These were delivered to Coventry Prototype Panels, where adhesive was applied to the mating surfaces of the inners and outer panels. Both inner and outer panels were then placed into a clinch fixture with adhesives mating & manually clinched. The Clinch Fixture also doubled as an Inspection Jig.
Above: Bonding and clinching at CPP After curing and inspection, the bonnet and boot assemblies were complete. The first sets were flown out to the works rally team to Greece to be fitted to the car ready for the Acropolis Rally of Greece in June. |
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