Carbonfibre resin spray transfer technology being fast-tracked
Quickstep is a Sydney-based carbon composites manufacturer that has said it will be fast-tracking the commercialization of its resin spray transfers, or RTS, technology claiming that it will prove to be a revolution in the global automotive industry.
The RST technology, which was developed in Australia and partly funded by the Federal Government, fully automates the process of manufacturing the lightweight carbonfibre composite panels used in cars.
Philippe Odouard – the company’s managing director – explained that their technology allowed for carbonfibre panels to be made in minutes and at a significantly lower cost than other methods, and thus enabling the car parts to be mass-produced with a high-quality finish directly off the mould to boot.
He said that every leading car manufacturer is trying to develop cars that are lighter, more affordable and more fuel efficient because of increasingly stricter emission legislation from around the world.
Odouard said that he’s delighted to demonstrate the technical success of the RST by repeatedly manufacturing carbonfibre composite panels with pioneering Quickstep automatic plant in Sydney. The plant produces car parts with a ‘Class A’ surface finish without requiring being re-worked, which is commonly required when it comes to the manufacture of carbonfibre car panels.
According to the company’s plans, they want to produce both exterior parts as well as licensing the technology for car makers to manufacture the carbonfibre panels themselves.
The managing director also said that the company is in talks with several leading global automotive manufacturers interested in the manufacturing of panels with the RST technology under licence, while at the same time pursuing large-volume production tests in cooperation with industrial partners in Germany.
He continued to say that the company has already delivered some carbonfibre test panels to several car makers in order to show the value of the RST technology.
And also that they are expecting to manufacture parts in small quantities over the next few months and to then increase the numbers shortly thereafter.
