Fiber Reinforced Plastics for Lightweight Engine Parts

This paper describes the design philosophy, results of the resin/laminate investigations, and the history of the components from the first prototypes to a design with capacity of continuous fabrication, as well as the manufacturing and testing of the components.

The project was sponsored by the West German Ministry for Research and Technology; technical support was given by the “Institut fur Kunststoffverarbeitung” (Technische Universität Aachen), Enka AG, Sigri Elektro-graphit and Mahle GmbH.