McLaren Introduces Automated Rapid Tape Technology for Cutting-Edge Supercars
With over forty years of expertise, McLaren continues to pioneer carbon fibre, enhancing lightweight, high-performance, and structural integrity in racing and road vehicles. Carbon fibre is not just standard in Formula 1; every McLaren vehicle features a monocoque. The brand also leverages this robust and durable material across body structures and aerodynamic systems, achieving unparalleled performance and exhilarating driving dynamics without compromise.
McLaren Automotive has recently developed a groundbreaking application of an advanced manufacturing process unique to the automotive industry. This innovation promises to propel future models forward with significant advancements in carbon fibre technology, amplifying the material’s finest qualities.
In the aerospace sector, ultra-precise manufacturing techniques are used to construct bespoke carbon fibre structures for the newest air jetliners and fighter jets, focusing on vital components like fuselages and wings. This involves the robotic layering of composite tapes, a method more efficient than traditional manual layup. McLaren has adapted and accelerated this method at its McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) in Sheffield, UK, enhancing its manufacturing capabilities.
The innovative Automated Rapid Tape (ART) method at McLaren significantly enhances the potential of McLaren road cars by using carbon fibre structures that are lighter, stiffer, and stronger, with improved consistency and reduced waste. The McLaren ART carbon fibre also features a distinctive visual appearance different from conventional hand-cut components.
McLaren’s ART technology has transformed the traditional aerospace technique, employing a machine designed with a stationary deposition head and a rapidly rotating bed to expedite automotive and high-rate composites manufacturing. This enables tailored fibre placement, allowing engineers to innovate beyond standard material limitations by adjusting fibre orientation for targeted anisotropic stiffness—enhancing rigidity in specific areas while maintaining flexibility elsewhere.
Furthermore, the ART method focuses fibre placement in high-stress areas, optimising strength-to-weight ratios by reducing material in low-stress zones. As the dry composite tape is laid in precise lengths, the reduction in irregular off-cuts and waste is substantial, with up to 95% of the raw material utilised in the final product. This automated process also minimises human error, ensuring parts are within strict design tolerances and reducing the likelihood of rejections. Real-time monitoring and control maintain consistent production quality.
The benefits of Automated Rapid Tape technology extend to shorter manufacturing times and cost reductions, broadening the application of carbon fibre across more vehicle areas. This is not merely future technology; it has already been integrated into McLaren's manufacturing processes. A prototype machine is operational at the MCTC, with plans to scale up to an industrial-spec machine in 2025.
The first McLaren vehicle to incorporate McLaren ART carbon fibre is the new Ultimate supercar, the McLaren W1. Components like the active front wing assembly's fixed plane are manufactured from ART carbon, benefiting from a 10% increase in stiffness compared to traditional parts, which is crucial for its aerodynamic functionality. Additional ART carbon components are being considered for the W1.
The ART production method and carbon structures open possibilities for future carbon fibre architectures, potentially underpinning the next generation of ultra-light, ultra-strong McLaren supercars, manufactured with minimal waste.
