Caterham uses bicycle tech to save weight

[PacNW2Ford]

http://www.evo.co.uk/caterham/7/17572/caterham-tries-bicycle-chassis-tech-to-shave-weight-from-seven

Will there be a David Kirk fillet brazed option?

[ultraman6970]

WHy took them so long to figure it out what they did? :D

[David Kirk]

It's cool stuff.

It will be interesting to see how many opt for the upgrade.....it's not cheap and it shaves about only 12 pounds from the car so one needs to be very motivated to have the car be as light as can be to plump for the extra.

From a fabrication standpont it will be a very different deal. Currently they buy mill runs of tube that are 20 feet long and they lop off what they need, miter it, and set it in the jig. The tech only needs to select the right diameter and they are good.

With the butted tubes they will have SO MANY new SKU's and each tube will have been made for one particular position in the chassis. Of course they could also save some labor buy having each tube mitered to length by Reynolds so that they just grab tubes from the bin and set them in the jig. It would be interesting to see how Caterham handles it.

The other cool project that Reynolds is working on is Ti tubes to be used in the next generation Ariel Atom. Me thinks the cost of an Atom might go up!

dave

[tumbler]

"Caterham estimates that it would add between £1000-2000 to the price of a Seven – though that’s also a premium it thinks up to a fifth of buyers would be prepared to pay for as an option."

All they need is a few reviewers raving about the improvements in liveliness, tracking, and planing to get that fraction up to at least one half.

[Mark McM]

From a fabrication standpont it will be a very different deal. Currently they buy mill runs of tube that are 20 feet long and they lop off what they need, miter it, and set it in the jig. The tech only needs to select the right diameter and they are good.

With the butted tubes they will have SO MANY new SKU's and each tube will have been made for one particular position in the chassis. Of course they could also save some labor buy having each tube mitered to length by Reynolds so that they just grab tubes from the bin and set them in the jig. It would be interesting to see how Caterham handles it.

While I agree with everything you say, keep in mind that Caterhams are basically handmade (they build about 500/year), so like other custom made goods, raw material and stocking costs are just a small part of production costs.

Also keep in mind that Caterham cars marketed and sold on a basis of power/weight ratio (their model numbers are literally equal to their horsepower per ton), so in some cases reducing frame weight may be just as economical as increasing engine power.

[Vinci]

Will the new chassis be laterally stiff while also vertically compliant?

[Mr. Pink]

If the driver takes EPO, will the car climb faster?

[David Kirk]

While I agree with everything you say, keep in mind that Caterhams are basically handmade (they build about 500/year), so like other custom made goods, raw material and stocking costs are just a small part of production costs.

Also keep in mind that Caterham cars marketed and sold on a basis of power/weight ratio (their model numbers are literally equal to their horsepower per ton), so in some cases reducing frame weight may be just as economical as increasing engine power.

I hear you and agree.

As I understand it they make very little profit and are trying to grow the brand into profitability and adding more to any costs and complexity will be tough to swallow.

I've spent my entire adult life in niche production and have personally witnessed how things like this can end up and it will take some very good organization to make it fly and have the bottom line end up black.

And while I agree that cars like these are sold on power/weight ratios reducing the weight of the car by 12 pounds (1%) would change that number by only .05........meaning the average Cat would go from say 6 lbs/hp to 5.95lbs/hp and that while this can be nothing but good I doubt it will push a reluctant buyer over the fence and have him part with his money.

For the hard core track guy it's a no brainer but most guys sunday cruise in these cars and they could never feel that their gas tank is holding 6 or 8 gallons of fuel.

In the end it matters little - I think it's very cool that they are pushing and changing and it'a all a very good thing. And it's good for Reynolds too and I know they are having fun with the project.

dave

[mvrider]

I guess the jump to Al tubing would have been too much for them? Their countrymen at Lotus are experts at Al fabrication.

For their volumes, I would have thought that carbon layups would not be out of the question, either.