SEATTLE — Automobili Lamborghini officially unveiled the new Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory (ACSL) Tuesday at the University of Washington with a special event that included speeches, a lab tour and test-drives of Lamborghini cars. This partnership with UW as well as Boeing marks the supercar automaker's dedication to investing in the future of carbon-fiber technologies.
With the idea of developing future vehicles with lighter, stronger and more versatile materials in mind, Lamborghini will provide funding for the ACSL's lab equipment and support for UW undergraduate and graduate students. The Italian automaker has collaborated in the past with ACSL head professor Paolo Feraboli, especially in the area of certification methodology for carbon-fiber composite materials.
The lab is loaded with high-tech equipment like a lightning-strike generator for simulated lighting strikes up to 100,000 amps, a drop tower for damage tests, a pneumatic crash sled capable of crushing full-size prototypes and, to record it all, a high-speed video camera that can capture an unbelievable 82,000 frames per second. The ACSL provides the location for testing, manufacturing and machining of carbon-fiber materials.
"Composites are no longer the future. They are the present of structural materials for anything that's high performance, whether it's aerospace or golf clubs or sports cars. Monolithic materials like aluminum just won't cut it anymore," said Feraboli.
Lamborghini pioneered the use of carbon fiber on its vehicles and has continued to incorporate more and more composite materials into its latest models. The Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce, for example, uses carbon composites on the floor, transmission tunnel, outer skin and other areas — totaling one third of the vehicle. Much weight can be saved by increasing the use of the material, helping to increase power-to-weight ratios while cutting down on carbon-dioxide emissions.
Inside Line says: With this investment, the bull-branded automaker maintains its commitment as one of the leaders in carbon-fiber technology. — Mike Lysaght, Correspondent
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