MMC and Super Aluminiums

 

The production of components made by MMC and Super Aluminium materials is one of CRP’s specialisations.

Metal Matrix composites, and generally also aluminium special alloys, offer further weight savings, increased stiffness and exceptional strength and resistance to fatigue.

 

F1 industry uses MMC materials, while Super aluminium materials are particularly suited for all the other motorsport racing series

AMC 225xe is a perfect example of an MMC composite: a grade 3 aerospace aluminium alloy - AA2 124 - reinforced with silicon carbide particles, typically 2-3 micron - 25% by volume.

The material is versatile. It can be machined directly from billets, forged or formed by using extrusion or rolling techniques.
Like all materials which include silicon carbide MMC materials are also highly abrasive and require the use of PCD (Polycrystalline Diamond) tooling, which CRP uses on its own design. It can be wire cut and CRP use last generation EDM machines to profile billets and forgings.

 

For Super Aluminium materials, the best example is surely CRP 8601, a high quality aerospace grade aluminium alloy, created by CRP Technology and manufactured by a special powder metallurgy process using a high-energy mixing process which ensures excellent mechanical properties.
It is not a castable product.
This material may successfully overcome high performance aluminium alloys such as: 7075, 7050, 2014, 2024, 2618, etc...

 

The key benefits of CRP 8601 for structural applications include:

 

 CRP 8601 TDS 492.58 Kb

CRP has achieved higher productivity and quality over traditional carbide (Widia) tooling thanks to the high-speed machining, customized PCD tooling, excellent knowledge of the machining process and quality control 100% developed internally, thanks to a long and beneficial experience as suppliers in F1.

More important, diamond tools allow us to machine parts and add features that are not possible using carbide (Widia) tools.

 

Gabriele Tredozi, F1 Senior Technical Director, explains: “One of the main goals in F1 is to reach a very high stiffness of all mechanical components in order to have the maximum stiffness on track. The second main goal is to look for a lower weight for all structural parts. Therefore MMC and Super Aluminium are the perfect compromise between the highest stiffness and lower weight”.

 

Above: F1 Front upright - MMC (AMC225xe) CNC machining