Ford Taking Carbon Fiber Customization To A New Level

CarBuzz has unearthed another exciting invention in documentation filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office: Ford is developing a means of weaving composite fibers like a tapestry. What we mean by that is that the patent describes a form of composite material structure design very similar to the weft-faced method, where the warp threads are hidden in the completed work. Further simplified, it means that a structural pattern exists beneath the visible weave, and this visible weave has a pattern that is not simply laid atop the structure but is an interwoven part of the overall design.

Basically, if, for some strange reason, Ford ever decides to offer a version of the Mustang GTD supercar with Rolls-Royce levels of personalization, employing this technology would be ideal, letting you display a customized logo or graphic within the carbon fiber itself without the need for painting or laser-etching.

How Does It Work?

While a Persian rug is woven by hand, albeit on a loom, the patent describes using a CAD (computer-aided design) program and a motorized needle to weave carbon fiber instead. Not much more detail is given, but essentially, the machine would use glass, Kevlar, boron, carbon, or other fibers to create a structural weave, with the needle effectively moving much like a 3D printer.

Due to the freedom of movement that this computer-controlled needle would have, intricate images and embossing patterns could easily be created. Once the pattern exists, the preform, or fabric, is molded in the shape of the component it will become before resin is applied. This is left to cure, typically in an autoclave, and the automotive carbon fiber (or fiberglass, et cetera) can be trimmed, polished, and refined.

Electroluminescent Carbon Fiber

Since Ford can so accurately control the construction of its composite fiber material, it can easily introduce colored threads that have been tinted in a certain color. BAC demonstrated this with a Mono finished in silver carbon fiber, but Ford is also considering taking things to another level. In the closing paragraphs of the patent, Ford mentions the possibility of a luminescent thread, with either a regular fluorescent or electroluminescent material. The former would absorb ambient light while the latter could be powered. Yes, the Blue Oval could create illuminated colored carbon fiber.

Due to the integrity of the weave and its interconnected design, Ford could potentially reduce material costs while taking customization to a new level. Bugatti is obsessive about carbon fiber, but even it hasn’t come up with something like this yet. The only thing that remains to be seen is if Ford ever has a practical use for the tech.