Nissan now has a more efficient and cost-effective way of producing carbon fiber

Carbon fiber has long been known as a weight-saving material that’s often used on vehicles, sports cars to be specific. Notably, Nissan’s new process in creating carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) actually speeds up production yet still manages to maintain that same level of quality and durability. 

Reinforcing this type of material on a car will greet you with several benefits, specifically making it a safer and more fuel-efficient vehicle. Apart from that, it can also help the car achieve a lower center of gravity, therefore giving you a more agile and exciting drive. It does play a significant role, plus, it also improves the overall quality of the vehicle which is indeed a huge plus for consumers.

While these benefits have long been known, the cost of this material is actually more expensive than your average steel, given its complex production process. That said, Nissan has then formulated a new strategic process on producing this lightweight material. As part of its innovative steps, the brand aims to use the new process to mass-produce CFRP parts and introduce them to more cars for customers in the near future.

Through this innovative step, the Japanese automotive brand should be able to cut the lead time in developing such components by as much as half, and its cycle time for molding by about 80%, compared with conventional methods. The new approach to the existing production method is known as compression resin transfer molding, wherein the application of Resin is done through injecting it into the fiber and left to harden.

These newly developed techniques resulted in a successful simulation that renders a high-quality component throughout a shorter development time. All thanks to this strategic plan, carbon fiber materials will soon be more affordable, allowing Nissan to reinforce the lightweight material into some of its future models.